A Floral Fantasy
by Selena Snow
Summary: Meet Asa, flower shop owner and person who just can't seem to get over her four year long celebrity crush on Deku. When he keeps waltzing into her shop time after time purchasing bouquets for a mysterious recipient, however, things seem to get a little deeper than just fangirling. OC x Future Pro Hero Deku.
1. Chapter 1

**Hello everyone! This fic was inspired by min-min-minnie's art on Tumblr of future pro hero Deku. I mean, what a dream boat. Combined with the ideas of your standard flower shop AU, this little fic sprung forth. Enjoy!**

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We've all had crushes that just couldn't be helped before. Or well, maybe help_less_ is a better way to put it. You know the kind— they're way out of your league, you've never even spoken to them, and you can't get them out of your brain no matter how many times you try. You've been there before, right? Maybe with that popular guy in your math class or even your favorite celebrity.

But trust me, this is much worse. Why? Well, you try having a crush on the number one pro hero and not go mad.

It was impossible. It was stupid. He was gorgeous and kind and amazing and smart. Asagao hated it.

Maybe it made things worse that literally every other twenty-something in Japan (if not the whole world) also had a thing for Deku. But who wouldn't with those strong arms, bright eyes, and smile that could light up the worst moments of people's lives?

He drew you in. He drew everyone in. There was always some new rumor to be heard: was he dating his high school sweetheart, Uravity? Was his smile a little friendlier than usual toward his new sidekick? He'd gone out to that new boba place with Froppy a few days ago— were they a thing?

The tabloids ate it up, as did the people, present company included.

'Nope, won't do it,' Asa told herself. The magazine on the rack held promises of new salacious details on Deku's secret romance. It was tempting, but not what she came here for.

After staring at the enticing picture for one second too many (how did the photographers always manage to catch him shirtless?), Asagao turned her attention to the wedding magazines section. She picked up the latest ones, stacked them neatly into the crook of her arm, and forced herself to leave. If she stayed any longer, her hand would've picked up the Deku magazine without her realizing it.

As she walked up to the front of the store to pay, more magazines flashed his face all around her. She distracted herself by twirling her brown locks with her finger and looking down at what she'd collected. She flipped open to the pages on flower arrangements, then fought back a groan.

'Why is it always hydrangeas?' she internally grumbled. Hydrangeas were much more finicky than other flowers. All the petals drove her quirk crazier than usual. But alas, she had a reputation to uphold. Her arrangements had become popular because she kept up with the times, not because she fussed over which flowers were harder to make than others.

As the line to the cash register slowly shuffled forward, Asa's mind drifted to her schedule for the day. Her first bride-to-be was coming in at eleven, followed by one on the hour each hour until five. She might have a small break around three, since she knew that appointment was just another double-check on the color schemes, so it shouldn't take as long as the other consultations. She could probably get one of her girls to cover if she needed to take a break. They wouldn't be able to tend to her flowers like she did— they just didn't have the quirk for it. She knew they'd manage, though.

When she finally reached the cashier, Asa's light violet eyes caught sight of the same magazine yet again. She must have stared at it for too long, because she soon heard the sound of the attendant chuckling.

"Haven't read it yet?" they asked.

Asa jumped. "I'm sorry?"

The woman, maybe in her late forties, shook her head in amusement. "Every girl your age has been snatching it up like crazy. Every magazine is 'Deku-this, Deku-that' these days. If you ask me, I think it's all nonsense, but hey, it sells."

Asa nodded absentmindedly. "Yeah…yeah they do."

She missed the almost pitying smile the woman was giving her now. "Ah, but that's celebrities for you— always have everyone chasing after them. That'll be fifteen fifty-two, please."

The flower shop owner handed over her card, and moments later was waving goodbye, her fingers still itching to grab the tabloid as she left.

If there was one word Asa could use to express her feelings about her crush on Deku, it was annoying. She remembered how it first felt— seeing him on the news and being in awe. She was eighteen, and he was twenty. He had just saved at least fifty people from an office building on fire, and instead of stopping to answer the reporter's incessant questions, he'd just smiled and waved before he took off back into the building. She could remember the way her heart swooned like it was yesterday.

It hadn't taken long for her crush to grow, and it had continued to do so steadily ever since. Asa would admit she had more than a few of his merchandise items, but she only ever wore them in her apartment. After all, it would be a little weird for a twenty two year old business owner to wear a green Deku onesie in her shop.

Yeah, four years was a long time for a heart to chase after something— some_one_— impossible. She knew she should give it up. That's why she was trying her best to no longer buy all those stupid magazines. The lady at the store was probably right when she said they only contained garbage. For someone so bright in the spotlight, Deku was also rather private. The likelihood that anyone had anything figured out about his love life was next to zero.

Asa shook her head. Great, she was thinking about him. Again. She wanted to curse that first news story that drew her in. Maybe if she hadn't watched it, she wouldn't have wasted time fantasizing so much the last few years.

At least the rest of her walk to the store was peaceful. It was a rather quiet morning for Tokyo. Spring was slowly fading into summer, bringing some much needed warmth. While she could tend to her flowers easily, the extra sunlight was always helpful.

She turned the street corner, and a pastel pink building front popped out on the horizon. A smile made its way onto Asa's face. Work would be good for her today. It would distract her from all these useless thoughts about a man whose beautiful green eyes she would never get to see up close.

'I really am a lost cause,' she groaned.

When she arrived at her shop's doorstep, she was pleasantly surprised to see that the lights had already been turned on. She walked through the door, and the little bell above jingled.

"I'll be with you in a second!" came the call from the back storeroom.

Asa laughed, "It's just me, Akari!"

The college student popped out from behind a door. "Ah! Hi, Asa-san!"

"Morning," the shop owner replied. She set her stuff on the counter, spreading the bridal magazines out for samples. "New stuff to look at. Anyone in so far?"

Akari hopped over, her eyes glittering with excitement (or her quirk, sometimes it was hard to tell). "Oh wow! I love hydrangeas!" she squealed. Asa rolled her eyes, and Akari's cheer suddenly turned to faux disgust. "I mean…ugh, darn, they're so difficult! Oh no!"

Asa couldn't help but snort as she made her way around the counter. "Ha ha, very funny. I'll just have to make time for extra. You have the register?"

The slightly younger woman nodded her head enthusiastically, pink hair flying. "You go do your thing! I'll let you know if I need help."

With a thumbs up, Asa moved toward the back room. As soon as she walked in and shut the door, she sighed happily. All around her were rows and rows of her flowers, each one happily drinking up the sunlight pouring in through the glass ceiling.

"Hello, darlings," Asa greeted. "How is everyone today?" A contented musical hum began to stir through the flowers, making her grin. "Excellent! Glad to hear it. Anyone needing help?"

A sad ping whispered to her from the back of the room. Asa made her way toward it, all the while humming softly. Her music mingled with that of the flowers, caressing each petal gently. She sensed them perk up a bit more.

When Asa arrived at the flower in need, she tsked. "Always you, Miss Daisy," she sighed. "What _is_ it with your petals this year?"

The little flower keened mournfully, almost like a whimper. Asa leaned down and hummed louder. She watched as the daisy's dull yellow center began to brighten, followed quickly by the white petals stretching out toward her. She gave in to the silent request and tickled the flower's stem.

A giggle came from it, and she smiled. "There you go, girl. Better?" She received a flit of warmth in response.

Satisfied with her troublesome daisy (which honestly, it might just have wanted attention and had been feigning illness, wouldn't be the first time), Asa moved on to the rest of the group. She wandered through the greenhouse row by row, humming soothingly and ensuring that all was well. Thirty minutes later, Asa finally exited the greenhouse and went back up to the front. She needed to refuel her quirk, not to mention get ready for her first client of the day.

Akari looked back as soon as she heard the door open behind the counter. "Everyone okay?"

Asa nodded and began to check on the flowers she had on display. "Daisy's throwing a fit again, but she'll be alright. Anyone come in so far?"

"A few orders for next week," Akari shrugged. "Nothing I couldn't handle. I'm gonna miss this place after graduation," she sighed.

After humming to a few slightly wilted roses, Asa shook her head. "You know you're always welcome back here. You can even keep up a few shifts if you can't find a job immediately."

The college girl perked up. "You're just the best boss ever, you know that?" she beamed.

The shopkeeper shrugged. "I know it's tough out there, and you've been a hard worker. It's going to be difficult to find someone to replace you once you're gone."

"Who knows, maybe I'll go into business with you?" Akari suggested. "Split it forty-nine, fifty-one so you still have the control. What do you think?"

Asa laughed, "You come up with the capital, and we'll see."

As per usual, the day passed in a flurry of flowers and flustered fiancée's. Asa couldn't complain. Sure, she had a completely useless crush on the number one hero, but that didn't make her bitter about helping other women get ready for their big day. If anything, it was soothing. Using her quirk, something she had thought was rather useless as a child, was therapeutic. Plus, it did help that her quirk made her own of one of the most popular flower shops in Tokyo. Having flowers that lasted longer than anyone else's had its advantages.

It was tiring, however. Keeping her quirk refueled by eating ridiculous amounts of fresh produce was a pain, and when the final bubbly bride-to-be left her shop at six, Asa was exhausted. That break at three hadn't been able to happen— a massive family looking to surprise their mother for her birthday had filed in, each sibling having a request more ridiculous than the other.

Her brain foggy from overusing her quirk, Asa slipped into the back room to grab an apple from her supply. That should hold her over for the walk home, at least, and give her enough energy to lock up the store. Akari had already gone home an hour ago, anyways, so it wasn't like she had much of a choice.

She flopped down on a chair next to a patch of lilies, munching on her apple slowly. 'I just want to go home, eat a salad the size of a bush, and rewatch Deku interviews,' she thought. It took a few moments before she realized where her mind had wound up, and Asa slapped herself lightly. No more dangerous impossible crush thoughts. She had to stop it. It'd been four years. Let. It. Go.

Thankfully, the sound of the bell at the front of the door caught her mind's attention before it could wander again.

"Crap, I forgot to change the sign to closed," she muttered. Better go see who it was— a customer was a customer, after all. It'd be stupid of her to ignore a source of financial income.

Making sure the last bite of her apple had been swallowed, Asa threw the core into a trashcan and wiped her sticky hands on her jeans. Stupid apples and their juice. She'd just have to avoid shaking the customer's hand.

Asa let out a sigh as she stood and made her way to the door. She could do this. Sure she was tired, but she could put on a smile. Just one more customer, and she'd be done for the day.

Determination set in her mind, Asa pushed the door open and—

She swore her heart stopped.

There in the middle of the room, looking far too natural amidst the sea of greenery that was her shop, stood none other than the number one pro hero of her dreams.

Deku was looking around curiously, his eyes flitting around from one arrangement to the next, seemingly regarding them with appreciation. His hands were in the pockets of his pants— light grey slacks that fit him far too well. He was wearing a navy blue sweater, one she instantly recognized as being from the Ingenium apparel line, and red sneakers that featured the all too obvious "R.R." on the sides.

His attention then landed on her, and like the angel she'd always heard he was, he smiled brightly. "Oh, hey there! Are you the owner? I was hoping to buy a bouquet, and I heard this was the best place to come!"

Nope. Nope. This wasn't happening. She wasn't seeing him. She was just tired, her quirk was worn out, and she was imagining things. Nope. Not today.

But then he was wandering over to one of her best arrangements in the corner near the front window, seemingly not bothered by her lack of a response. "I think I like this one a lot. How long would it take to have it made?"

The normalcy of the question seemed to snap Asa out of her daze. "Oh, the chrysanthemums? Just a few minutes. They can be a little temperamental, but I can make it quick."

His smile brightened even more. How was that possible? He was shining like the sun? Is that part of his quirk? Were his eyes sparkling? What was happening?

"That'd be perfect!" Deku said. "I like these colors as they are, unless you have any other options you could show me."

He was walking toward the counter now, the bouquet in hand. Was her heart racing? Was it hot in here? Was she even breathing? Oh gosh, he was right in front of her.

Deku laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head with his free hand. "I don't really know much about flowers, so I'll take the expert's advice."

She blinked. Right. Her. That was her. She was the expert. He was the customer. Okay. Right. Yes. Nope. Nope this was still weird.

Asa swore she could hear all the flowers around her snickering. It seemed to do the trick to bring her back to reality.

"Well, that color combination is really popular for this time of year, but I can always do anything else you like."

Wow, how was her voice so steady?

Asa reached for a binder beneath the counter, bringing it up and flipping to the page featuring chrysanthemums. "I have all of these colors available, and I can add anything else you see in the book and just calculate the cost from there."

Was this happening? Was she really speaking with Deku, _the_ number one pro hero, about flowers? Seriously?

Why yes she was, as evident by how he was now humming and tapping a finger to his mouth. "I like the pink ones…maybe do those instead of the orange, so then it's the yellow and the pink. What do you have that's green that we could add?"

An amused laugh slipped out before she could stop it. "There are green chrysanthemums, too—" she pointed. "Right there, bottom of the page."

"Whoops, didn't see that," Deku chuckled. Were his cheeks a little flushed? Maybe it was warm in here. She should go check the thermostat.

He stared at the page for at least another minute in silence (the loudest silence Asa had ever heard in her life, what with all her flowers taunting her) before he looked up and grinned awkwardly. "May I defer to your opinion again?"

"Mm, hypericum berries come in green," she suggested, and wow this was really happening like she was flipping through to another page to show Deku (_Deku!_) her greenery selection and this was totally normal yup normal, normal as normal could be.

"Those are perfect!" he nodded excitedly. "Those, let's do those."

With the numbers for pricing already running through her head, Asa snapped the binder shut and started back toward the greenhouse. "I'll go put it together— feel free to look around! I'll be back in about five minutes."

Deku smiled. She swore she was going to go blind. "Thanks!"

Asa smiled back politely, walked through the door, and immediately fell back against the wall.

Nope. Nu-huh. This wasn't happening. Things like this didn't happen. She was about to put together a flower arrangement. For Deku. Deku. _Deku._

'Breathe,' she told herself. 'Just get it done. Get the flowers. Make them pretty. Get the money. Go home. Eat. Fall asleep. Pretend this didn't happen.'

Yeah, yeah she could do that.

Asa set about her work in a daze, ignoring all the teasing from her flowers as she walked by. They clearly knew something was up— it was obvious by the weird, out of tune song she was humming. But she ignored them all, gathering the very best of her chrysanthemums and hypericum berries into her prettiest paper wrapping because of course she was going to choose the very best and no she was not going to charge him extra for it.

Once a silk ribbon had been tied around the neck of the flowers, Asa huffed out a breath. Go back in there. Give him the flowers. Be done for the day. She could do this. She was a capable adult human being.

Asa stared at the door. Crap this was hard.

After one more deep breath, she passed through to the shop.

He was still there. This time, he was investigating a different, much more complex arrangement filled with orchids and baby's-breath. She also noted that he had set the original bouquet back in its proper place.

The sound of the back room door got his attention, though, and he looked over at her with those stupidly stunning green eyes again. Her heart skipped a beat.

"Oh wow!" he laughed breathlessly, practically running up to the counter. "It's beautiful! Thank you so much, it's perfect!"

What were words? She didn't know. She didn't have any right now.

Asa started to hand the flowers over, but froze the second before his fingers brushed the paper. "Wait! Oh, sorry, forgot the last step—"

This was it. She needed to do it now, or else she knew what would happen. The moment the flowers passed from her care to someone else's, the life force between them began to fade. She had to give them one final push.

She'd never felt so embarrassed to do her job in her entire career.

Deku was blinking at her curiously, but he stepped back to give her space. She managed probably the most awkward smile of her life before she lifted her hand. Asa let her fingers trail gently over each petal, humming softly to herself as she did. Her face felt bright red— she suddenly remembered how uncomfortable it used to make her the first few times she did this in front of customers. She'd gotten over that quickly, but now, with Deku's eyes on her, suddenly her quirk felt incredibly silly.

When Asa was finished, she didn't dare look at him, opting to hand the bouquet over as quickly as possible and immediately turn her attention to the register. "Those will last as is for about two weeks, give or take a few days based on the conditions they're in," she told him like he was just any other customer, which he was, but no he _wasn't_. "It'll be forty-five twenty-eight."

She forced herself to look up at him and watched as he fumbled around with the bouquet, tucking it in the crook of his arm as he reached into his pocket for his wallet. Asa made sure their fingers didn't touch when he handed over a credit card. She didn't think her heart could take it, especially with how Deku was looking at her with his head tilted curiously.

"So I'm guessing some sort of gardening quirk?" he asked. When Asa blinked at him, he put his hands up. "I-I mean, you don't have to tell me, I just like studying different quirks a lot, and I haven't really run into anyone with yours before. Well, there was this one girl in school with vines for hair, but I don't remember her having any powers related to flowers."

Asa blinked again. Wow, so he really was like that. She'd read about how much Deku loved quirks— she even knew about some of the research he'd assisted in at I-Island. Still, it was…well she didn't know _what_ it was like to be on the receiving end of it. Honestly she still wasn't even sure if she was breathing.

"It's called Flower Talk," she found herself replying as she ran the transaction. "It's one of those quirks that kinda seems useless at first, but starting this business is really the best thing I could've ever asked for." _Along with you walking in here._

Deku grinned and shook his head. "I don't think it's useless at all! Every quirk is good for something, and it's awesome that you're using it like this! I'm sure you get to make so many people happy with your flowers, and that's really something special."

…how was she not on the floor right now?

Maybe he sensed how overwhelmed his compliment had made her, because he took his credit card back from her frozen hand and chuckled awkwardly. "Anyways, sorry to bother you right as the store was about to close. I really appreciate it."

"I-It's no problem!" Asa stammered. "No problem at all, really! I'd be an idiot if I turned away the number one pro hero."

CRAP.

DANG IT.

NO.

She'd let it slip. She'd let it slip, and now she looked like a total fangirl. Which, yes, she was, and yes, he probably also assumed that everybody recognized him, but uggghhhh she'd wanted this to be normal! As normal as normal could be!

Asa didn't know what she expected— for him to frown, walk out without another word, sigh, _something_.

But no, he didn't do any of those things. Instead, Deku just smiled even more. "You didn't know it was me when I walked in, though, so I still appreciate it, ah…Nakano-san, is it?"

Hearing her name come from his lips made her jump. How did he—? Right. The sign out front. Her shop was named after her. Get it together, Asagao.

Asa managed a nod. "Nakano Asagao. Nice to meet you."

He bowed a little. "Midoriya Izuku. Nice to meet you, too, Nakano-san!"

"Yeah, I kinda know who you are," she blurted before she could stop herself.

"Yeah, I figured," Deku laughed, and he was scratching the back of his head again. Did he not realize how cute it was when he did that? Are they still talking? Why are they still talking? "But it'd be rude of me to not introduce myself," he shrugged.

He was moving away from her now, heading toward the exit. Deku stopped just before the door and turned back to wave. "Thank you again!" he called out with that never ending smile. "The flowers are just what I needed!"

And with the tinkling of the shop bell, he was gone.

Asa wasn't sure how long she stood there. She only remembers whispering to an empty room, "...what the crap?"

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**Hope you liked it! I do have this planned out for more chapters, so there will be plenty of fluff, fangirl angst, and appearances from your favorite BNHA characters along the way. Leave a review, if you please!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hello, everyone! Thanks for the interest in my story, it made me very motivated to write! Before we get started, I had to clarify how Asagao's name was pronounced for a friend of mine, so I though other's might be wondering the same. It's Ah-Sah-Guy-Oh. With that out of the way, hope you enjoy!**

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Though her daydreams certainly hadn't, Asa was pretty convinced she had all but forgotten about the day her celebrity crush had stood in her flower shop two weeks ago. It had been a complete coincidence (and a complete honor, like, _wow_), but it had happened and now it was done.

She'd freaked out over it, talked with her best friend Hana about it, fantasized about him coming back to ask for her number, and moved on.

There was only one question she didn't let herself linger on: who were the flowers for?

Every time the thought popped into her head, her heart stung and she pushed it aside. Why did she care? It didn't matter that he was getting flowers for someone. Pink flowers. Pretty pink flowers. For someone. Probably a pretty someone.

Asa shook her head and groaned. This was bad. 'Focus, Asa, focus! Get over this stupid crush. None of this matters.'

...but what if the magazines were right?

'Nope,' she told herself as she tried to read over the same client email for the fiftieth time. 'Bad Asa. We are not going down this rabbit trail again. Go put your flowers together and distract yourself. But his eyes—'

"Wow, you're really out of it, aren't you, Asa-chan?"

Asa spun around. "Hana-chan!"

Her best friend had her arms crossed and eyes narrowed as she walked up to the counter. "You haven't said whether you're coming tonight or not," Hana accused. "Figured I'd stop by and make you give me an answer."

Asa gave a guilty smile. "Sorry, you know how this season is, multiple weddings every weekend, and—"

"And superheroes you're expecting to pop back up again?" Hana finished. When the florist's eyes flickered down, she sighed. "I thought you were getting over him, Asa-chan. Come on, a night out would do you some good— get you out of this shop for once."

Asa grumbled, "I'm not always in the shop, you know."

Hana rolled her eyes. "Your apartment doesn't count."

The two stared at each other in a stand off. At least there weren't any customers in right now. The last thing Asa needed was for any of them to hear about all this.

She hadn't told anyone other than Hana about what had happened. How could she? Something about blabbing just…rubbed her the wrong way. She wanted to be respectful of him. Hero or not, he was a human, too. Deku deserved privacy, and she wasn't about to go gossiping about how he was in her shop.

Hana's blazing green eyes were still striking daggers into her heart, though, and Asa groaned, "Fine, when and where?"

"That new American restaurant down the road," Hana replied, a frustratingly pleased twinkle in her eyes. "Six o'clock. Hideaki-kun will be there. He's been asking about you."

Asa snorted. "Sure he has."

The amused look on Hana's face melted a little. "Asa-chan, you're a great catch. And he's a good guy! I know you two had that weird thing, but you were second years. He really has been bugging me to get you to come. I think he's serious this time."

The shopkeeper let out a sigh. "Yeah, yeah. I'll be there, okay? I'll just be late— shop closes at six, you know."

Hana grinned. "I'll save you a seat next to me. Want me to bring that cute jacket?"

Despite herself, Asa perked up. "The one with the cherry blossom print?"

"Yup."

"Deal."

After giving Asa some directions to the restaurant, Hana made her way out of the shop, though not without threatening Asa if she didn't show up, of course. Asa shook her head. Hana was just doing what she thought was best, after all. She knew Asa had been driving herself a bit crazy lately with the business. It was hard not to, honestly. For once in her life, Asa felt like she truly had a purpose…it's just that sometimes that amazing feeling made her overwork herself.

Reuniting with old friends from high school would be good, though. It would bring back some fond, pre-Deku-crush memories (ah, of course he popped into her brain again). And maybe seeing Hideaki wouldn't be so bad. Maybe a little awkward at first, but she could handle it.

Asa took in a deep breath, then let it out slowly. She could handle it. She had always been capable of handling things.

Well, except for obsessive thoughts about a certain green-haired hero, but nope, not today. She had a bride-to-be coming in for an appointment in two minutes, and she was not going to let herself be distracted.

"Off in la la land again?"

Asa jumped and spun around to see her other employee, Meiko, giving her a fond look. "Are you getting enough sleep, Na-chan?" she questioned.

The florist fought the urge to roll her eyes at the cutesy nickname. "I think you forget I'm older than you sometimes," she replied dryly.

"Two years," Meiko shrugged. "And I think you forget to take care of yourself sometimes. Go grab something to eat in the back. I'll greet Tanaka-san."

Whatever she did to deserve such wonderful employees, Asa would never know. But alas, she did as she was told. It was only eleven in the morning, and her quirk already felt a little drained from an order of bouquets for an exceptionally large wedding.

And thus the day went on. Arrangements, clients, and pick ups blurred together in their typical frenzy. Asagao smiled through each and every moment, her work finally distracting her from any thought of the handsome hero that had burst into her life two weeks ago. It was a welcome feeling after all the nights she'd been cursed with insomnia, her overactive imagination refusing to let her sleep.

But even with her work, she felt the ever present question tickling the back of her mind: who were the flowers for?

She had no right to know, no reason to know. It didn't matter. It _shouldn't_ matter. Why did she feel like it mattered?

As Asagao began clearing away materials from her client table, she found herself wondering if she could slap herself hard enough to knock all these thoughts about Deku out of her head. Surely there had to be some foolproof way to get over a celebrity crush, right? Maybe she'd look it up online later. Then again, knowing her, she'd just wind up scrolling through his hashtag for hours.

'Why am I like this?' she internally groaned. Stupid hopeless crushes. Maybe Hana was right. Maybe tonight would be really good for her. She and Hideaki had kinda worked…sort of. And she'd had a big crush on him for a long time. Maybe now that they were older, they would be more mature and would have a better chance this time around. Yeah, that actually sounded kind of—

Was that a Chargebolt jacket?

Asa had barely caught sight of the bright yellow bomber out of the corner of her eyes, but when she realized who was wearing it, she swore her heart stopped beating altogether.

It was him.

He hadn't made it to the door yet, but he was unmistakable. It was like some sort of heavenly aura was surrounding him…and, well, how could she _not_ notice him in that jacket? The yellow with the black lighting bolt was hard to miss. She'd had her eyes on it for a while, but hadn't gotten around to buying it— wait a second, Deku was about to enter her store again! Crap!

Asa made quick work of clearing off the rest of the table, almost spilling a glass of water as she did so, and stuffed the catalogs beneath the counter just as he finished crossing the street.

The sound of laughter from her flowers filled her ears as she smoothed her hair down, but Asa ignored it. Deku's hand was on the door now, after all. She'd reprimand them for their behavior later.

He entered. His eyes landed on her. They lit up like a brilliant green firework. "Hey! I'm so glad I caught you— sorry for coming in at the last minute again, but this time, I know exactly what I want!"

And there she was, caught in a daze just like two weeks ago. He was all smiles as he walked up to her counter, a skip in his step.

When he reached her, Deku pulled his phone out of his pocket. "I spent some time researching flower language this week so I'd be more prepared. I have my order written down and everything!" He turned his phone toward her to see.

Asa blinked before she stared at the screen in silence. He indeed did have a list in his notes app.

Asters. Carnations. Tulips.

She missed how he bit his lip nervously. "Did I get it right? They're all supposed to be about love, I think. I read almost every website I could to figure it out."

The florist took a few more seconds to look over his request before she quirked an eyebrow at him. "You're about half right, although I would like to know what king I'm potentially making this for." At the hero's confused look, Asa grinned. "Purple tulips stand for royalty. You didn't specify."

Deku froze. She watched, her heart squeezing a little because gosh he was so cute when he was flustered, as his cheeks turned pink and he slapped a hand to his face. "The colors mean different things, don't they," he mumbled.

An even bigger grin was fighting its way onto her lips. "Yeah, yeah they do."

His hand slid down his face. "I can't believe I forgot that," Deku admitted with a sigh. "I spent every chance I had looking it up, and I thought I'd make this easy for you so I didn't waste your time—"

"It's fine," Asa laughed. "I'm honestly impressed. Most men walk in here looking like they're lost."

Deku chuckled. "Sort of like I did a couple weeks ago."

She shrugged dismissively, but he was still looking so embarrassed and didn't he know that this was already hard enough for her like why did he have to look so cute right now it was entirely infuriating and honestly she didn't know how she'd already gotten this far in their conversation.

Asa glanced down at his phone one more time, memorizing the list quickly. "I don't have asters right now, but I'll sub those out for something else— _and_ make sure to get the right colors for love," she added on and wow, was her voice teasing? Was she teasing Deku? Oh my gosh, she _was_.

And he seemed okay with it. He was laughing a bit, and (she held back a sigh) what a beautiful sound that was. "I swear I'll get it right next time," he promised.

_Next time._

Wow, she couldn't breathe.

No readily available responses would come to her, so Asa settled for a (probably super awkward) two finger salute and headed into the back storeroom.

'Okay,' she told herself. 'Deep breath. Deku flower bouquet number two. It's no big deal. Screw it, yes it _is_ a big deal. Flowers. Distract yourself with the flowers.'

Carnations and tulips, plus something else that needed to symbolize love. Asagao wandered over toward the carnations as she mentally ran through her options. Plenty of the colors meant love, but they were all different kinds of love. Maybe she should ask for clarification?

No, that might be rude. She didn't want to seem prying. Plus, if he responded with any sort of romantic love, her heart would die a little bit. She'd just play it safe.

'White carnations would be good,' she decided. 'Pure love and good luck. Very Deku-esque.' Ugh, if he ever found out how much of a fangirl she really was, he'd think she was so creepy.

Asagao made her way to her group of white carnations. "Hello, little ones," she greeted softly. The white carnations were always a bit more on the sensitive side. "I have someone lovely who would like you."

A few reached out to her tentatively, and she began humming to assuage their fears. She picked her favorites and held them against her heart as she began looking for what else she would put in the bouquet. As she walked, she felt her precious carnations begin to relax. They sighed happily, flooding her with a feeling of gratefulness. Asa ran her fingers over their petals in response.

What next? Asa's eyes glided over her selection. She could do chrysanthemums again, seeing as how red ones symbolized love, but those were out of stock. And they were for romantic love anyways, and she just didn't have enough details…hmm, something like Deku though?

She snapped her fingers. Sunflowers! Adoration and loyalty were definitely traits she saw in Deku. That would fit him perfectly!

Asagao wound through the greenhouse rows to a section in the back. Her sunflowers were practically buzzing with excitement by the time she reached them, and she laughed. "You bunch are always so thrilled to be taken home," she teased. "Makes me feel like you don't like me as much!"

The sunflowers were quick to send her a feeling that denied her joke. Asa just shook her head and smiled. They were always eager when she came near— they liked spreading their joy just as much as she liked running the shop.

She gathered a few into her bundle, then sighed.

And now for the tulips.

Perhaps the most difficult one, because there just wasn't any particular color that seemed to be accurate. Once she had walked over to her tulips, she stared down at them for what felt like an eternity.

The red tulips were vying for her attention, wishing she would pick one of them up so they could express the true depths of their love for her. The yellow tulips were mimicking the same feelings as the sunflowers, which honestly was starting to get a little overwhelming. The white tulips were looking up at her sadly, apologizing that they weren't what she needed. She hummed a little tune just for them.

Asa sighed. None of this was fitting…unless…

She turned to the purple tulips, unsurprised to find them regarding her with their usual humility.

Her eyes flitted back to the flowers in her arms. Pure love. Good luck. Adoration. Loyalty. Maybe it was her sixth sense speaking, but something was telling her that the royalty of the purple tulips would fit right in.

"Royalty," she murmured. "Meant for someone you esteem highly."

Even if the bouquet wasn't going to be a traditional form of love, she couldn't help but feel that it was a deep, layered sort of love, the kind that everyone wanted to experience at some point in their life.

A minute later, Asa finished trimming the stems and set about wrapping them in the newest paper she'd gotten in. When she finished tying the bow, she stepped back to evaluate.

Asagao almost laughed out loud looking at it. The bouquet wasn't elegant or striking or even resembled anything like what she usually did. And yet, it was beautiful all the same. It wasn't classically arranged, but it was what he wanted, and…well honestly, it was adorable. It looked like the kind of flower bouquet a kid would put together, just a random collection of whatever garden flower they liked best. She supposed it sort of was like that, in a way. The meaning meant more to him than the style.

And it really was full of meaning. As she gathered the bouquet in her arms, a sensation akin to a warm hug radiated off her flowers. Yeah, yeah this was right. This was the kind of love she imagined Deku would give.

Oh. Right. She had to go back out there and give them to him now.

Asa stared down the door and took in a calming breath. She did this once, she could do it again.

To avoid her trouble from last time, Asagao began humming as she walked through the door. Deku was near the front windows, staring at a few frames she had on the wall. She was almost grateful that he immediately didn't notice her return. Her heart always skipped a beat when those bright eyes caught hers.

One more soothing breath later, she cleared her throat. Deku jumped and whirled around to blink at her. She grinned apologetically. "Those were for some of my first clients," she told him. "I like to keep the pictures as a reminder of where I began."

He looked back to the photos. "They're really beautiful! So unique, and— oh _wow!_" he gasped, having done a double-take. Deku rushed back up to the counter, his mouth dropped open. She tried to ignore how her heart was pounding.

"I love sunflowers!" he said. She wished she had a camera so she could capture the sparkle in his eyes. His gaze flicked up from the bouquet to her. "How'd you know?"

Asa shrugged (in a manner that conveyed far more neutrality than she currently possessed, she realized proudly). "Call it a florist's intuition."

Deku nodded excitedly. His eyes wandered over the flowers she picked, falling on the purple tulips with a bit of amusement. He must have recalled her previous joke. "Can you tell me about them? What they all stand for?"

With a strange sense of ease, she walked him through an explanation of each one, all the while letting her fingers drift over the petals. Asa had to admit, this particular bouquet was going to be hard to let go. It was just so sweet and sincere. But alas, when she was done, she hummed a final little tune before placing it in his awaiting hands.

Deku stood there for a moment, staring down at the flowers in a daze. Her head tilted. He almost seemed…entranced by them. She'd often seen people excited by her flowers, but this was something different. His eyes held a reverence that she couldn't understand, and possibly never would.

A few more moments passed before he looked up at her, eyes shining. "It's perfect," he smiled. "Thank you _so_ much."

The joke popped out before she could stop it: "They aren't free, you know."

"Ah! Right!" Deku startled. Asagao held back a laugh as he (just like last time, hilariously enough) fumbled around for his wallet. He held his credit card out. Her fingers accidentally brushed his as she took it.

'Nope, nope, don't think about it,' Asa told herself. She ran the transaction quicker than normal and was extra careful when she handed the card back over.

He grinned widely. "Same amount of time for these? About two weeks?"

Asa nodded, "Yup, and if they don't last that long, let me know. It's rare that they don't last as long as I promise, but a promise is a promise, and I've had to do refunds before in special cases."

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Deku shook his head good naturedly. "The other ones only just started wilting, but I was just so excited to get more. And she— well, I, it was, ah, really nice to have fresh flowers."

_She._

There seemed to be some unspoken agreement to not mention his slip up. Even so, Asa couldn't deny how her heart had stopped.

Deku's smile turned a little sheepish, and he scratched the back of his head. "Anyways, I should get out of your way. I kept you open late again."

All she could do was say, "It's okay."

He laughed, "Right."

There was a pause, during which the two just looked at each other. Then he started toward the exit. Asa blinked. Did their eyes connect just a bit longer than what could be considered normal? Was she breathing? Had that been awkward? Did he feel weird now?

All these questions and more swirled around her head so violently that she barely noticed him walk to the door. Until the bell above it rang, of course. She startled back to reality.

"Thanks, again, Nakano-san!" Deku called from the half-open door. Another cheerful wave and a flash of that absurdly bright jacket later, he was gone.

…what just happened?

Asagao sighed. Something told her she wasn't going to be able to fall asleep easily tonight.

She set about closing the shop in a dazed leisurely pace, her mind spinning with curiosity.

There was one thing for certain: these flowers really were for someone special. That much was obvious. His entire bouquet was filled with love. He'd specifically asked for love.

And yet there wasn't a single rose.

Roses were classic. Asa went through more of them than she could count each week. Boyfriends and husbands and fiancés came in to grab them all the time, each of them always wearing a bashful grin on their face.

But Deku didn't buy roses.

Well, he could have. She could have thrown them in the bouquet, but he hadn't requested them in his original idea in the first place.

Not only that, but he came in right at closing time again. Asagao wasn't an idiot— she could figure it out pretty easily. A celebrity like him coming to get flowers was prime material for any gossip magazine, not to mention arriving at a time like that lessened the likelihood that he'd run into any of her other customers. Seemed all the tabloids were right when they said Deku liked privacy.

She would keep it that way, Asa decided. Perhaps she would consider telling Meiko and Akari, so they wouldn't have a heart attack in case Deku ever showed up at a different time. But for now, she'd keep it on the down low, especially given how weird he acted after letting that certain detail slip. It was his life, and he deserved to not have anyone butting in on it.

'Hm, should I tell Hana-chan about him stopping in again?' Asa wondered as she took off her apron. 'Meh, I'll think on it.'

Asagao flicked off the shop lights, locked the doors, and stepped out onto the street where Deku had been not too long ago. Huh, that was a weird thought. He'd just been here. She swore she still felt some sort of energy in the air, that enthusiastic optimism he always carried with him.

And then, Asa took out her phone. That was a mistake.

**Hana:** Did you bail? I brought the jacket just for you! You're gonna break Hideaki-kun's heart!

Asa squinted at the text. A second later, her eyes finally drifted to the time.

**6:22pm**

Hana was going to kill her.

Asa began speed walking toward the restaurant at breakneck speed.

**Asa:** Had a last minute customer— pretty please order me a large salad? You know what I like. You're the best!

**Hana:** You're lucky I'm a good friend. I'll order it with extra celery.

The florist laughed out loud at her friend's text. Being on time had never been a strong suit of Asa's, anyways— something that Hana was far too familiar with at this point to get mad. Still, Asa had to admit Hana was right. She was very lucky for a friend like her.

The restaurant wasn't far. Asa had her lucky stars to thank for that (as well as _another_ visit from Deku, seriously, what was happening lately?!).

No surprise, Hana was waiting at the door with the promised jacket in hand when Asa arrived.

"Thanks," Asa sighed, slipping it over her plain black jeans and white shirt. At least she now looked semi-cute for this random high school reunion.

"Salad will be out soon," Hana said, shaking her head as she lead Asa over to the group table. "Everyone else already has their food. Don't you have a clock on the wall in your shop?"

Asa smiled guiltily. "Yeah, I just got distracted. The person had a custom order, and it took longer than usual. You know I can't turn people away."

"You're too nice," Hana claimed with an eye roll. If only she knew who Asa had been with twenty minutes ago.

"Hey! You made it!"

Asa snapped to attention. Funny how she hadn't heard his voice in forever, and yet it still stuck out in the crowd.

Hideaki was waving at her from the table. Black hair, broad shoulders, and a kind smile on a face that she supposed was attractive. He hadn't changed a bit.

Hana not so subtly nudged her toward the empty seat next to him. It was the only spot left, so honestly she had no choice. This would be okay. It couldn't get too awkward, right?

"You look great," Hideaki said as she sat down. "Hana-chan said the shop drives you crazy, but you sure don't show it!"

Asa smiled politely. "I'll take crazy because it means paying the bills. What are you up to these days?"

He leaned back in his chair. "Oh, you know, taking over the family business from my dad," Hideaki shrugged. "Not exactly what I had in mind for life, but I'll get my own adventure one day. It's weird how much time has passed, isn't it? Sometimes I swear we're all still sixteen."

A waiter sat her salad down in front of her, and for the third time in only the last five minutes, Asa again thanked her lucky stars. This small talk was already more than she felt like dealing with. Maybe refueling her quirk would help.

And as it turned out, it only continued to get more uncomfortable. She barely got a word in to any of her other old high school friends, what with how Hideaki seemed far too determined to catch up on the last five years of their lives. Worst of all, Hana was too busy chatting with everyone else to notice Asa's subtle looks for help.

As Hideaki walked her home (he'd insisted since it was getting dark out), Asagao couldn't help but internally sigh. It wasn't his fault, after all. Hideaki was a genuinely nice guy. But his hair didn't have green tips, and his eyes were dull brown instead of brilliant emerald. And his smile was nice, but it didn't light up a room. Not to mention, she just…didn't really feel attracted to him that way anymore. He didn't draw her in, not like a different certain someone.

A billboard with Deku's face plastered on it came up on the horizon when they took a turn toward her apartment building. 'Speak of the devil,' Asa groaned. Why couldn't she get him out of her head?

Actually, she found she didn't mind Deku invading her brain right now. It was a welcome distraction from the increasingly awkward silence between the exes. At least they were almost to her building.

"So Asa-chan," Hideaki started. Weird. Even hearing her first name from his lips didn't give her the same reaction as Deku's formal usage. "I've been thinking about things lately, and well…"

She raised an eyebrow at him. "Things?"

"You and me," he clarified, then coughed. "Looking back, I can't really figure out why we didn't work. I still think a lot of you, so…I was wondering if maybe you wanted to go out some time?"

They stopped in front of her building door. She stared up at him, her head tilted.

When the silence went on for too long, Hideaki laughed, "I know, that kinda came out of nowhere. Would you be willing to give it a shot?"

Asa blinked. "I…" _I'm in love with a person who's way out of my reach. A person that no one could ever compare to. You're a great guy. You deserve someone who's actually going to pay attention to you instead of obsessing over someone else. Please don't be upset with me._ "I'm so sorry, Hideaki-kun. I'm just too busy with the shop right now for something like that."

The disappointment on his face was clear as day. "That's what Hana-chan said you'd say," he sighed.

Asa smiled sadly. "You deserve someone who can give you the time of day, not someone who shows up to dinners super late."

"I didn't mind," Hideaki shrugged.

She frowned. "Hideaki—"

"I know, I know," he shook his head. "Just figured I should give it a try. See you around?"

"Yeah," Asa nodded. "See you."

Hideaki turned and walked away without another word. The slump in his shoulders told her everything she needed to know, but even then, she couldn't convince herself that she'd made the wrong choice. She knew how messy her heart was right now. Stringing him along would only make things worse.

'Yup, that's me, saying no to a great guy while the guy I actually want is buying flowers for some mystery girl,' she grumbled as she walked up the stairs. At least it was already time to go to bed. Hideaki had chatted her ears off for three hours at the restaurant, and she was dead tired.

Asa's prediction from before was right. Even with her quirk begging her for some shut eye, she couldn't fall asleep.

_"The other ones only just started wilting, but I was just so excited to get more. And she— well, I, it was, ah, really nice to have fresh flowers."_

She.

Who was she?

Someone Deku loved.

Someone who was definitely not her.

Asa sighed and rolled over in bed. She wondered what it would be like to receive a bouquet filled with so much love from Deku…or even just anyone, for that matter.

Yeah, she really needed to move on.

'Just go to sleep and try to forget about it again,' she told herself. 'You'll drive yourself crazy if you don't get it out of your head.'

Deep breath in, deep breath out. Sleep sounded good right now. Just…fall…asleep…

_"I swear I'll get it right next time."_

Asa's eyes flashed open. Next time. Oh my gosh, he was going to be back.

The florist groaned and slapped a hand to her face. She was going to spend the next two weeks in hell, wasn't she?

* * *

**Please leave a review! I am planning on getting on a consistent update schedule with this story, so look forward to more angst, fluff, and mystery next week!**


	3. Chapter 3

**We're back again! Thank you to everyone for the support and reviews. I'm loving reading y'all's theories about who the flowers are for. I'm not going to tell you the answer up here, though, so enjoy!**

* * *

She was right, of course. The next two weeks were absolutely horrible.

Okay, well, not absolutely. It was mid-June, which meant she had at least six weddings each weekend to arrange flowers for. Meiko and Akari were working practically full time to help her keep up, and she made sure to give them bonuses for the extra hours.

So yes, the business was going well. It was just the fact that her heart and mind would start spinning out of control every spare second she got. Who were the flowers for? Why was he insistent upon keeping up a two week schedule? Would he ask for roses this time?

If she was trying to get over her Deku obsession, this really wasn't helping.

And today was the day. It was a Tuesday. He came in on Tuesdays.

Asagao tried to tell herself that she wasn't jittery all day, but the look in Meiko's eyes told her otherwise. Sometimes that girl knew her too well. Or maybe it was just the mother hen instinct Meiko had.

Miraculously, the florist got through all of her appointments without a hitch. Her last one even ended early, leaving her time to sit in the back and munch on a pear while she put together some lilies for a wedding this weekend.

She was doing well, even with how her eyes kept flicking to the clock on the greenhouse wall. The minutes ticked by at an agonizingly slow pace, and it only seemed to get worse when the clock struck five thirty. She just wished it'd be six already.

A knock sounded. "Na-chan!" Meiko called.

"Yeah?"

Her employee opened the door and peeked through it. "I'm heading home. You okay for me to leave?"

Asa waved a hand. "Get out of here. I already kept you later than usual. Thanks, again, I know I've been asking a lot lately."

Meiko smiled, "You know I don't mind. Take care of yourself, Na-chan!"

The shopkeeper hummed noncommittally. A few moments later, she heard the doorbell ring, signaling that her employee had left. And then there was one.

Asagao picked up her basket of lilies and made her way to the front of the store. She could finish the bouquets while waiting, and at least this way she'd be able to see Deku coming through the windows.

'Yup, just a normal, typical Tuesday night of waiting for the number one pro hero to arrive at my shop,' Asa thought. 'Not a big deal in any way, shape, or form.'

Hana, who had been filled in on the events two weeks prior, claimed that Asa was in a state of denial. Which, no, of course she wasn't! She was acting like any other person who had been tossed into a weird reality of seeing their celebrity crush on a now semi-regular, scheduled basis. Asa knew that if Cellophane started showing up at Hana's office building out of the blue, she'd react the same way.

Against her better judgement, Asagao let her mind wander to what might happen tonight. Would he come in with another list? Would he get bashful again if he accidentally got something wrong? Was he going to be wearing something that would bring out his eyes? Who was she kidding, his eyes always stood out no matter what he wore.

Asa sighed happily, the lilies in her hands forgotten. Though she was still definitely nervous, she also found that she felt a little more confident this time. Her readiness could be because she knew for sure that Deku was in fact coming in approximately sixteen minutes now, but their last interaction hadn't been that bad. Okay, well, there was the awkwardness toward the end, but before that, she'd been speaking full normal human sentences! At this rate, maybe they'd be able to have an actual conversation, not just the typical small talk that came along with her business.

'Yeah, I can do this,' Asa told herself. 'It's just another time seeing Deku.'

Ten minutes later, she was not sure she could do this.

Her foot was tapping incessantly. She kept checking the clock on the wall every thirty seconds. The entire front of the store had already been dusted and swept and organized. The lilies were tucked away in their delivery box. Her heart felt like it was going to burst.

Light violet eyes looked to the clock yet again. Five minutes. Well, actually, maybe only two, seeing as how he usually walked in right before closing. So really any minute now. Gosh, was she really ready for this? The anticipation was killing her.

"_Breathe_, Asa," she sighed aloud. "He's a nice person. There's no need to be worried."

A minute passed. Asagao kept her eyes peeled on the street outside her shop.

Another minute went by. She began running through her appointments for the next day in her mind.

A third minute ticked away. Asa checked her phone and scrolled through Instagram.

Then another minute. And another. And another.

When the florist finally forced herself to leave the shop at six thirty-two, she told herself that the hollow feeling in her chest was just because she needed dinner. No, her heart wasn't sinking. Her mind didn't feel numb from disappointment. She just needed to go home and refuel her quirk for the next day at work.

During the dismal walk to her apartment building, her phone pinged.

**Hana:** Did prince charming stop by?

Asa sighed before she responded.

**Asa:** No he didn't. Must be out there saving other damsels in distress.

**Hana:** Booooooo, I'm sorry. Want me to come over?

**Asa:** You bring the movie, I'll provide the ice cream.

**Hana:** Be there in twenty!

The young woman couldn't help but smile. At least she had a best friend like Hana. Who knew what she'd do without her in the middle of this Deku-crisis.

Ugh. Stupid crush. At least she could drown her sorrows in a bowl of ice cream.

* * *

Considering the let down of the previous night, Asagao woke up in high spirits. This was most likely due to Hana ranting about how all men were dumb and not worth her time, anyways. While Asa didn't entirely agree, she did have to admit that their get together worked like a charm. It brought her back to their high school days, the nights where they'd stuff their faces with sugar and grumble about the boys in their class for hours. It was nice to have some girl time after having her heart metaphorically stomped on.

Honestly, she felt like she was on top of the world right now. Maybe Hana was right! Nakano Asagao didn't need a man. She was a successful business owner at the ripe young age of twenty-two. She had her whole life ahead of her, and some silly little crush was not going to stand in her way! And Asagao _certainly_ didn't need to be driving herself crazy over this mysterious "she." Whoever Deku had gotten those flowers for didn't affect her in any way whatsoever!

Asa was practically marching down the sidewalk at this point. She was going to have a good day! No worries, no obsessing, no questions, no daydreaming. This whole thing was over.

(Oh the irony.)

If Asagao thought she knew how this day was going to go down, she was dead wrong. Because of course, in this weird alternate reality she must have fallen into, there was someone waiting outside her shop door when she turned the street corner. And come on, you really think she didn't recognize him immediately even with that hat on?

The florist literally stopped in her tracks. There was no denying it— it was Deku who was standing in front of her shop.

Suddenly all of her previous thoughts left her mind.

How she started walking again will always remain a mystery. And let's be clear, she wasn't a heavy stepper. But whether it was some sort of super hearing or just random chance, Deku turned to look at her right as she finished crossing the road.

He waved, a guilty smile on his face. She could see relief in his eyes when she reached him.

"I may or may not have been chasing down a bank robber last night and lost track of time," Deku confessed.

One of Asa's eyebrows lifted. "Sounds like you need to get your priorities straight."

…did she just make a joke?

Wait.

Was she _flirting?_

No no no no, she knows she did **not** just imply that coming to her flower shop was more important than capturing a robber. Nope. Nope, not at all.

Well whatever she just did made the pro hero laugh. "I really do," he chuckled. "I figured I could catch you this morning before you had any people come in so I didn't take up too much of your time."

Asa shook her head. She took the shop keys out and unlocked the door. "You act like you're not a customer like anyone else. None of my customers are a waste of my time." _Especially you._

She waved for him to step on in. There was a brief moment where he hesitated, his hand reaching to hold the door for her, but she made a shooing motion with her hands.

As he passed through the doorway, she took a moment to admire his outfit. Plain black jeans, navy hat, a mint and cream striped t-shirt, and a crossbody messenger bag. His work bag? That would make sense. He was probably going to head straight for his agency after stopping off here. She should make this quick so he wasn't late, even though she wouldn't mind a sight like him sticking around.

Crap, she'd just been checking him out, hadn't she?

"So," Asa cleared her throat. She walked into the store and let the door shut behind her, flicking the lights on as well. "What'll it be today?"

Deku already had his phone out, pulling up the notes app just like last time. "I did my homework!" he informed her happily. "I want blue irises, snowdrops, and purple anemones!"

She walked around to the back of the counter, her eyes up in thought. "…hope?" the florist guessed. It would make sense— Deku had a way of radiating hope without realizing it.

His eyes sparkled in affirmation. "Yes!"

Asagao let out a laugh, "Good job. You're lucky I have all those in stock."

"Ah," Deku grinned awkwardly. "I should have considered that. I'll get it right one of these days."

Shaking her head again, Asa began to head toward the door to the greenhouse. "It's fine, really. I'll be back in a—"

"Wait!"

The shopkeeper turned, nearly jumping out of her skin when she found the number one pro hero only a foot away. When did he—? Ah, right. Super speed. And now he was pulling a notebook out of his bag? What was going on?

Deku flipped to a page and took in a sharp breath. "I've been wondering ever since I started coming here, but I didn't want to be a bother, and you're probably busy and have lots to do, but I've really been curious about how your quirk works," he rambled. Was his face turning pink? "It's a lot to ask, I know. I've just never seen a quirk like yours, and I've been trying to research ones similar to it, but they don't have the same components as yours with the humming and the ritual and all that."

Asa blinked. "You want to— don't you have to get to work?"

He shrugged. "I'm not in a rush. It's my day off." He produced a pencil from his bag and tapped the notebook with it. "I'd like to write some things down, if you don't mind! Quirk studies is a side hobby of mine, and I can't remember all the details on my own."

Her mind was spinning. Deku wanted to study her quirk. Deku. The number one pro hero. He wanted to study her quirk.

…_why?_

Instead of voicing this, she tilted her head. "Pro hero Deku gets days off?"

His excited grin somehow grew even more. "Surprising, I know. You can call me by my actual name, by the way," he offered.

Asa's eyes widened. Her? Use his real name? He couldn't be serious. This was just too much all at once.

"I-If that's okay with you!" Deku added on quickly. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable, but…it'd make things even, right? Unless you have a hero name I could call you by?"

Who hadn't imagined what their hero name would be at some point? She wasn't about to tell him the one from her childhood, though. Flower Princess was just so…ugh, nope, this situation was already hard enough without the added embarrassment.

"It's, uh, well it isn't exactly part of a regular general studies course, s-so I'm afraid not," she stammered.

Deku chuckled a bit, then fell silent. So this was it. She still hadn't given him a straight answer, and she knew he wasn't going to push past her into the greenhouse. He was waiting for a yes or no.

And really, how could she say no to that face?

Without further ado, Asagao went over to the counter and pulled out a set of gloves from a box. "Rules of the greenhouse," she started, "I'm the only one who can touch the flowers. Everyone else has to wear these. You included, De— Midoriya-san." She felt like she was going to die. Did she seriously just use his name?

Deku took the gloves from her unquestioningly. "Same reason you don't immediately hand over the bouquet when you're done?"

She nodded. "Yup. It's…a little hard to explain."

"I have time," he replied readily. Then his green eyes widened. "Not that I want to take up your time, though! This already means a lot to me, I really appreciate it!"

Asagao held in a sigh. Something about him was just bursting with energy, and yet at the same time, she could sense his eagerness was being held back by his sense of respect. It was…honestly really adorable.

Words were failing her, so Asa simply began walking toward the door. Deku followed, but before she opened it, she turned back to him and put a finger to her lips. He nodded.

She pushed the door open gently, letting the emotional wave of greeting from her flowers wash over her slowly.

"Hello, dears," Asa whispered. "I have someone new. Is that okay?"

There was a mixed reaction from the group. Her more shy ones signaled their usual hesitancy. Several flowers however (particularly the sunflowers in the back) were already perking up. She knew why. Of course they'd be drawn to Deku like a magnet.

She sensed a shift behind her. "What's going on?" Deku questioned, matching her volume.

Be still her beating heart, his voice was like melted chocolate when it went low like that.

Asa mentally slapped herself. "I'm just making sure they'd be okay with a stranger. I think it's alright. No one's told me a direct no."

She lead the way into the greenhouse, trying as best she could to ignore the presence of the very attractive hero behind her.

Deku was humming, and she heard the tale-tell sound of a pencil scratching on paper. "Your quirk's name, Flower Talk…it's literal, isn't it? You really can talk to them?"

If the sunflowers hadn't been screaming before, they definitely were now that they saw him. Asagao sighed. She knew they wouldn't stop until they had been introduced.

"In a way," she replied. Asa began toward sunflowers knowing that he would follow. "I can speak to them, and they understand me, but their language is different. It's like they radiate their emotions rather than speak words."

The florist glanced back and found that the hero was furiously scribbling something down. After a moment of silence, Deku jolted a little, then gave an embarrassed grin.

"Sorry, I should be paying better attention," he apologized. "So you can hear them, but can anyone else? Say you wanted a flower to speak to someone, could they?"

Asa frowned in thought. "No, I've tried that before. They can't understand others, either, but they are always drawn to people who share their characteristics," she explained. "Hence why I've brought you to the sunflowers. They want to meet you."

Deku blinked, staring down at the selection of flowers. He reached a gloved hand forward to touch the petals. Upon contact, the sunflowers let out a delighted cheer, and Asagao burst out laughing.

He jerked his hand back. "I'm so sorry! Are they upset?!"

A hand covering her mouth, she was quick to shake her head. "No! No, I'm sorry, they just got really excited. You share a kindred spirit, and they know it. Flowers love being around people who are like them."

The hero relaxed. "Oh good," he sighed. "I got nervous there…what do sunflowers stand for again?"

"Adoration and loyalty," Asa replied. There was another group calling for him from the other side of the greenhouse, though. She turned, unsurprised when her eyes fell on blue irises. When she began walking toward them, she had to stop herself from laughing at the sound of Deku scrambling to follow after her. All the while, she began humming her usual morning song, letting her fingers drift over petals as she passed.

The pair arrived at her blue irises a minute later, and Asa waved a hand. "You have more fans," she teased. "Faith and hope."

Deku reached out and petted them, a little more confident this time. "Funny how I picked flowers that I'm similar to," he commented.

She shrugged. "Most people do, they just don't realize it."

He stared at the irises in consideration. After a moment, he turned his head to meet her eyes. "Which ones are you drawn most toward?"

Asagao put her attention back on the flowers. That sparkly green gaze was simply too much to handle. She began selecting a few from the group for his bouquet. "These, actually. Gardenias, too, for joy. And, ah…_asagaos_."

"Your given name! Morning glories."

Her face was burning. No way she could look at him now. She nodded.

She caught sight of Deku tilting his head out of the corner of her eye. "What do they mean?"

_Unrequited love._ Not the easiest to talk about in front of the person she felt that toward.

"It's a…complicated emotion," she told him. "But it's nice to have someone who understands and feels it like I do. They've always had a special place in my heart because of that."

A brief silence held them captive. Asagao forced herself to meet his eyes, smiling awkwardly. Something in that green stare told her he wasn't about to push her for the truth.

Deku brought the moment to an end by turning his attention back to his notebook. He scanned over what he'd written so far. "So along with being able to sustain your flowers for longer than usual with your quirk, you also hold a psycho-emotional bond with them that enables you to sense their personalities and emotions."

Asa nodded, more than glad that he moved away from the previous subject. "As the bulbs take root, their life force begins to connect with mine," she explained. She headed toward the snowdrops and anemones. Deku followed suit.

Once at the new section, she began gathering the flowers he'd requested and continued talking, "All specimen of flowers have the same general personality, but each one is still unique. I become more aware of them as they bloom. Once they leave my care, the life force cuts off, which is why no one else can touch them. But it's never long before one flower is replaced with another." Asa laughed fondly. "I remember I used to get really upset about it as a child, but now I'm happy that I can take care of them while I can. All flowers die eventually, after all."

When she turned with the bouquet-to-be gathered in her arms, she found Deku staring at her in wonder. "How many flowers can you sustain at a time?" he asked.

Asa leaned against the table and considered the question. "Mmm…I seem to max out at five hundred."

"W-Wow!" he stammered. "H-how, what— how did you train your quirk to be able to hold so many lives all at once?"

"Over time, I guess," she shrugged. "If you build up slowly, it doesn't feel as bad. You get used to it, recharge, and keep going, just like any other quirk training. I still have days every now and then where it's more difficult, but that's just how it is, you know?"

Deku shook his head. "That's unbelievable. You mentioned recharging— how do you do that?"

The two were wandering over to her wrapping station now. Asa held up a few options for paper wrapping, and Deku pointed to one with cream polkadots. She rolled it off the rack and sliced down the paper.

"Fresh fruit and vegetables," she replied. Asagao started to arrange the flowers, bundling them into place in a steady rhythm. "I always keep a supply back here if I start feeling weak during the day."

There was an oddly comfortable silence while she kept working. Deku was writing down more information, occasionally muttering to himself under his breath. She raised a curious eyebrow. Did he realize he was doing that?

Just as she finished tying the ribbon, he tapped his pencil to the page. "One more question— how did you discover your quirk?"

"In my parent's garden when I was four," Asagao said, smiling reminiscently. It was always a nice memory to look back on. "Some peonies were upset I wasn't paying attention to them. I started talking to them, and my mom asked me what I was doing. At first I thought she was making fun of me for saying she couldn't hear them, but we figured it out pretty quickly." She glanced up at him. "What about you?"

His eyes flicked away. "It just sort of happened one day," Deku laughed, his hand reaching up to scratch the back of his head. "It was definitely a lot of power to get used to all at once. I handled it pretty bad."

Was there a weird sort of tension in the air? Maybe he didn't like talking about his quirk that much. He always avoided any specifics in interviews, after all. Maybe she'd stepped over the line by returning his question.

"I'm sure there are plenty of stories of people with similar quirks causing chaos," she joked reassuringly. "Power types must always be pretty difficult to get a handle on at first, no matter who it is."

Deku chuckled. "That's very true."

Wow, they'd really been talking all this time, hadn't they? Asa found that, while she still definitely felt jittery, she'd actually been doing pretty well. She tried to control the spring in her step while she lead them back into the store.

When she was behind the counter and he was in front, she held up the bouquet demonstratively. "This is the final step," she told him. "It's not really necessary, but I've noticed it usually makes the flowers last a little longer."

Deku hummed thoughtfully. "And then once you hand them over, they disconnect from you?"

"Exactly," Asa nodded. His gaze was so steady on hers, the florist decided to close her eyes. It was just too difficult to concentrate with him staring at her like that.

She performed her ritual like usual, wishing these hope filled flowers extra good luck. If Deku wanted to give someone hope, they must have really needed it.

A minute later, her eyes fluttered open. Asa waited until he took off his gloves, then handed the bouquet over to him. She waved her hands with a flourish. "And now, they're cut off from me."

"Wow," he breathed. "That's really incredible!"

Ugh, why did he have to say something like that? And with such a genuine tone, too? Asagao felt warmth flooding her cheeks. "That'll be thirty-five eighty."

The exchange of his credit card to her went the same way as always, although this time he had to search through his bag for almost a minute to find his wallet. Deku's face was flushed when he finally handed the card over.

"I really need to get more organized," he admitted.

She shrugged, "I find it funny."

Deku quirked an eyebrow. "Really?"

Asa paused. Oh, she hadn't realized she'd said that out loud. "I-I mean, I don't know, it just kinda shows you're like everyone else, D— Midoriya-san."

"I guess so," he replied, his eyes drifting down to the flowers. "If there's one thing I've realized lately, though, it's that heroes aren't only the ones on tv."

There was a sort of gravity to this sentiment, something in his gaze that told her it held more significance than she understood. His eyes were somber, truthful, and earnest all at once. It took her aback for a moment.

Deku cleared his throat. "Anyways, thank you for letting me butt in on your morning," he said, then laughed awkwardly. "I know I had a lot of questions. Your quirk really is something special, Nakano-san."

Her face was definitely red now. "T-Thank you, Midoriya-san," she stammered.

He grinned happily. When he walked out the door, he turned back and waved before it shut. "See you soon!" he called.

Asagao could have melted into a puddle right there. A few minutes later, she was practically waltzing around the room in a bubbly daze as she prepared the shop for the day. The only thing that finally brought her out of her state was the sound of her phone buzzing in her pocket.

Asa took it out and looked.

**Hana:** How's our strong independent woman this morning?

**Asa:** …not so sure about the independent part anymore

**Hana:** oh my gosh

* * *

**Please leave a review! And also, look forward to some special guests in the chapter next week!**


	4. Chapter 4

**And we're back again, friends! I swear I'm literally turning into Asa because I'm giving out flowers at a con in a few days. Anyways, thanks for the support and the funny reviews! Enjoy!**

* * *

"I-I'm so sorry," Tanaka sobbed. "I just want to get this r-right, and I've been so stressed out about the whole thing!"

Asagao patted the fiancée on the shoulder. Akari came over with a tissue box, the look in her eyes causing Asa to have to bite her tongue to keep from laughing. Poor Tanaka-san had been in just a few weeks ago for her final selections, but she'd been back at least twice since then. The soon to be bride simply couldn't make up her mind on what she wanted.

The shopkeeper sat back down across from her client. "I think the pink roses with the baby's breath and blue lupine is going to be just perfect, Tanaka-san," Asa soothed. "It matches wonderfully with the rest of your color scheme, and really brings out your eyes."

The woman sniffed, "You think so?"

"I really do," the florist nodded. "I know this has been hard to decide, but I promise I wouldn't suggest anything ugly for your special day. Your fiancé liked the original plan too, didn't he?"

Tanaka took in a deep breath. "Yes, yes he did. It's his mother, really. She's been driving me crazy, and she doesn't think the blue will match with their family's quirk. Apparently red has always been a big part of their family legacy."

Asa's eyes flitted to Akari in a silent scream for help. There was no way she was about to start marital counseling right now, especially with the shop set to close in fifteen minutes.

Thankfully, Akari took the signal. Her employee wandered over, the sparkling radiating off of her a tell-tale sign of her quirk. Akari delicately flicked her wrist. Suddenly, the sample bouquet on the table in front of Tanaka was covered in a glittery sheen.

"It's your wedding, not hers," Akari stated gently. She looked to her boss, and Asa took the cue to place the flowers in the fiancée's shaking hands. Akari continued, "He asked you to marry him, not his family's legacy. I'm sure if you talked about this with him, he'd be very supportive of you getting the flowers you like."

"I already have," Tanaka admitted, her eyes flitting down to the bouquet in thought. "He said I should pick what I want, and that if I was happy, then so was he."

Asagao found herself smiling. "Sounds like he's a great guy."

The fiancée wiped her tears away and laughed. "He is, he really is."

Akari and Asa shared a look for a second. They'd seen this before— these were the times where the nervous bride-to-be always found her voice. Asa couldn't remember how many women she'd had in here who had stories of other people trying to control their weddings. It happened far too frequently, but she recognized a turning point when she saw one.

Slowly, Tanaka's tense shoulders relaxed. She looked up at the other two women with an embarrassed smile on her face. "These," she said, holding up the bouquet. "I want these for my wedding. And that's that."

Asa's smile grew. "Awesome. I'll make a note to go back to our first plan. Do you want the sparkles, too? It's a small up charge, but our clients who ask for them are always very happy with the result."

The woman hesitated.

"I don't mind at all, really!" Akari piped up.

After a few more moments of contemplation, Tanaka finally nodded. Asa held in a sigh of relief.

Two minutes later, Tanaka was walking out of the store with a bubbly smile. As soon as the door closed behind her, the florist let out a tired puff of air. That appointment had been exhausting in more ways than one. If only she had a visit from a superhero to look forward to, but alas, it had only been one week since Deku's last stop by. She knew he wouldn't come for seven more days.

"We really need to keep more tissues on hand," Akari noted as the two began cleaning up the client table.

Asa laughed, "I think I just need to keep them in my apron pockets at all times. We've had a lot of crying brides lately."

Akari shook her head. "Weddings are just too stressful these days. Want me to stay behind and help close up?"

The shopkeeper shrugged. "I think I'm good. Meiko-chan already did some cleaning before she left. I swear she was going to beat me over the head with the duster if I didn't let her."

"Classic Meiko-chan."

"She never changes."

The two shared a fond chuckle. Though Akari tried her best to stick around a bit longer, Asa shooed her out the front door just before the clock struck six. She knew that the girl was going out with her boyfriend tonight, and she wasn't about to keep her from her date, especially given the perfect late June evening it was.

And honestly, after the busy day she'd had, it was nice to be alone. Just her and her flowers, in the quiet, no one to bother them. Their own little world.

Asa hummed a familiar tune as she went about her usual tasks. She swept the floors, wiped down the glass, drifted her fingers over the flowers asking for help. Something about the mindlessness of it all set her at ease. It was just what she needed after sitting there awkwardly for half an hour while Tanaka cried.

The shop now clean, all she needed to do was turn the lights off and lock up. Asagao took off her apron and dusted away some pollen from her blouse. Purse on shoulder, keys in one hand, phone in the other, she started toward the door.

"See you all tomorrow," Asa called out. She vaguely heard the affirmative hums in return as she began scrolling through her notifications. Apparently Hana had been texting her random cat videos off and on throughout the day.

Shaking her head, Asagao shifted her attention to the keys. She pulled out the right one and began to reach toward the door handle—

Only for her violet eyes to connect with brilliant green through the glass.

Asa blinked. Her eyes flicked to the clock on the wall. She looked back at him. Deku grinned apologetically.

"Can we come in?" he asked, his voice muffled slightly by the door.

The florist's eyebrows scrunched. _We?_

Deku gestured behind him. When her eyes followed, they fell on none other than pro hero Shoto. The man raised his hand in a solemn wave.

Wow, if only Akari hadn't just left. That girl was the biggest Shoto fan she knew.

Wait a minute, why was she still just standing there?

Her face flushing, Asagao finally jumped back and opened the door.

Words began spilling out of Deku's mouth as they walked in, "I am so sorry, I know I'm even later than usual. I wanted to get here earlier, but there was traffic, and then a villain appeared on the train, and then we had to go to the police station, and—"

"He insisted we couldn't go anywhere else," Shoto cut in dryly.

Asa blinked. So they really were night and day, huh? Shoto with his calm demeanor, and Deku with his…Deku-ness. She'd read about their friendship in the magazines and seen a few joint interviews, but it didn't quite compare to seeing it in real life.

It was fascinating, really. Shoto was well known for being rather closed off and serious, yet Deku was practically bouncing around in his personal space like it was no big deal. Perhaps the tiny upward twitch of Shoto's lips indicated that he had simply become used to his behavior over the years. They really were best friends in real life, weren't they?

Asa shook her head and forced herself to put the analysis aside. "You're a week early, though," she pointed out to Deku. "Did the flowers wilt already?"

"Oh, no, not at all!" he responded quickly. "Todoroki-kun needed some, and I decided I'd bring him here!"

Said hero shifted uncomfortably, his eyes falling to the ground. Asa frowned. She looked to Deku for an explanation.

"He doesn't know what to get," Deku supplied. "He tried looking things up online, but it only made him more confused."

"I'm not confused," Shoto muttered. "Simply…conflicted."

"Right, conflicted," Deku corrected himself. His eyes turned back to Asagao. She tried to conceal her surprise when she saw the pleading look he gave her. "I knew you'd be the best person to help, so we had to come here."

Asa subtly took in a deep breath and nodded. One hero every two weeks had honestly been enough for her. This was just overwhelming.

Still, there was something in Shoto's eyes that made her panic subside. A depth of sadness she hadn't expected. She'd seen that look before, typically when people were getting flowers for a funeral. Surely she would have heard about something like that on the news, wouldn't she?

While caught up in her own thoughts, she hadn't noticed how quiet it had gone until Deku nudged Shoto. "You can tell her. I'm sure she wouldn't tell anyone," he glanced at her, "Right?"

Asagao nodded immediately. "Of course! My lips are sealed. I don't gossip about my customers."

Deku gave her a grateful smile. The two stared at Shoto for a few more seconds. Finally, he sighed. "Okay."

The number one pro hero's eyes lit up. "Great! Nakano-san connects with all the flowers emotionally. She'll be able to tell you exactly which ones to get."

Shoto's eyes lifted to meet hers. He hesitated. "I…I want the flowers for my mother," he said. "She…struggles. She's been getting better over the years, but recently she's having a hard time again. Midoriya-kun told me about his flowers, and I thought…I thought they might make a difference to her."

Asagao's heart squeezed painfully. Of course this was difficult for him. It was well known that the mother of the Todoroki family was basically never seen, and hadn't been for several years. Whatever the reason, Asa couldn't imagine what it was like growing up like that. Being without your mother couldn't have been easy, as evidenced even now by how Deku placed a hand on his friend's shoulder.

Swallowing hard, Asa managed a soft smile. "And what do you want to say to her with the flowers? What do you want her to know?"

Shoto seemed to consider it for a moment. "I want her to know that I don't fault her for her state. That I'm proud she's been as good of a mother as she has been. That she is strong, much stronger than she knows, even if she can't see it sometimes."

The hurt in her heart eased a bit. She knew just what he needed. "I'd suggest white tulips, then," Asa told him. "They're often used as a way of forgiveness and to show that someone is worthy. It sounds like that's the kind of message she needs right now."

Shoto's lips turned up. "Her hair is white."

Asa grinned and clasped her hands together. "A perfect match, then."

Just as she turned to head toward the back, she head Deku whispering, "See, I told you she'd get it right."

She was glad the far too pleased smile on her face was hidden.

The florist set about her work in the greenhouse as quickly as possible, if only to get her mind off of the night's unexpected turn of events. 'Deku's lucky I was still here in the first place,' she laughed to herself. 'And just when I thought it'd be a normal day. Of course not.'

The tulips were easy to put together, and once she had them bound in a pretty matching white paper, she went back to the front of the store.

"—and she can sustain up to five hundred flowers at once. It's just crazy!" Deku was telling Shoto when she entered. "She says all of the meanings of the flowers match their personalities, and— oh, that was fast, Nakano-san!"

Asagao swore she was blushing from her head to her toes. Deku had been talking about her quirk in this…way that she couldn't describe other than it was overwhelming and flustering and it was just so strange to hear him talk about it like it was this amazing thing when it was nothing like what he or Shoto were capable of. They captured villains and saved lives. She just gave people flowers. Why did it seem like it was such a big deal to him?

The young woman snapped out of her thoughts quickly. "I didn't have to arrange them since it's just one flower type," she explained. "I'm sure you managed to give Shoto-san the full rundown of my quirk in that time, though." Oh gosh she was teasing him again wasn't she.

Deku gave her a guilty grin. "Perhaps. Have you done the final step, yet?"

Asa shook her head as a negative.

"Good!" he said, then turned to Shoto and elbowed him. "This is my favorite part."

Okay, if she wasn't red before, she certainly was now. Asa cursed the warmth flooding her cheeks, but it wasn't like she could stop it. Something about how Deku was acting made her feel like she was on an empty stage with a spotlight on her. It was…new. But not entirely unwelcome.

The tulips sent her a little wave of comfort. Their encouragement helped Asa through her ritual, humming a particularly delicate tune to let the tulips know the importance of their job. She hadn't realized she'd closed her eyes until they opened, and she handed the bouquet over to its new owner, who took it readily.

"They're beautiful," Shoto inclined his head. "I can see now why Midoriya-kun insisted we come to you."

Asa smiled gently. "I hope your mother gets better soon. She has a son that cares for her. I'm sure that means the world to her."

Shoto's eyes widened a bit. To the side, Asa caught sight of Deku mouthing "thank you."

The transaction took place in an almost reverent silence. She caught Deku quietly saying something to Shoto about stopping by a hospital, to which Shoto nodded.

One formal bow of thanks from Shoto later, the two started toward the front door. Shoto stepped out of the shop first, but before Deku could follow, he turned back around and waved.

"See you next week, Nakano-san!" Deku shouted happily. "I'll be on time, I promise!"

Asa didn't want him to leave. Why didn't she want him to leave? Maybe because they hadn't talked as much as usual, or this was just so special that she got to see him an extra day, or this whole process had only taken about fifteen minutes, and that just wasn't enough time. Not after how long they'd spent together last week.

He was about to walk out the door. She had to say something.

"De— Midoriya-san?"

He turned, head tilted. "Yeah?"

Her heart was racing. Those stupid beautiful eyes always threw her off. "Y-You'd better not bring the entire superhero world to my shop," Asa teased. "I'm busy enough with wedding season as it is."

A sudden laugh burst from Deku's lips. "I can't help it, my flowers have been getting lots of compliments! I tell everyone who asks to come here," he told her.

Oh _wow_, his eyes were sparkling again. Their usual glow had died down during his time there, most likely due to the seriousness of Shoto's request. To see them shine again took Asa's breath away.

She shook her head, amused. "You should take a few business cards with you, if you're serious."

A grin lit his face. Before she knew it, Deku had dashed up to her counter. It was with an almost a childish glee that he scooped up at least a dozen cards.

"I'll be passing these out like candy," he winked.

Deku _winked_. At _her_.

Asa's heart stuttered.

In a flash, he was back at the door. Deku waved again, flashing the business cards in his hand cheekily, before he skipped down the sidewalk to an awaiting Shoto.

Asa went to bed that night thinking she must have made it all up.

* * *

The next week of her life was…strange, to say the least.

Well it hadn't been at first. Sure, she'd been constantly questioning if her memory was correct (that _wink_), but business happened as usual.

Until two days after her visit from Deku and Shoto, that is.

At the moment, Asagao found herself staring at none other than Eraser Head. Not only that, but he had a teenage girl with him.

The girl tugged on his sleeve. "What about those, Dad? Those are pretty!"

"You can get whichever ones you want, Eri," Eraser Head replied. Huh. His voice wasn't as monotone as it usually sounded in the interviews. Or maybe he was just different around his daughter.

Weird, Asa figured she would've known Eraser Head had a daughter. Every Deku fan knew who he was, much to the chagrin of the underground hero. He probably hadn't anticipated having students that drew so many eyes.

The florist cleared her throat. She'd been walking around with the pair since they came in, answering all the rapid-fire questions Eri asked. "Peach roses are very sincere," she told them. "They're pretty popular right now, and would be beautiful with the white carnations you were looking at earlier."

Eraser Head's eyes turned to her. "You make custom bouquets?" he inquired.

Asa nodded. "If I have it and she wants it, I can put together anything."

Upon hearing this, Eri gave her father a pleading look. "I like what she said," she told him. Suddenly, her eyes flicked away. "I-If that's okay."

"We came here just for you, Eri," the hero replied, his hand reaching up to ruffle her hair a bit.

Ten minutes later, Asa found her heart warming as she watched them leave. Eri was hugging her flowers tight, and Eraser Head was smiling at her softly. There really was more to heroes than the public knew, wasn't there?

* * *

And then it only got stranger.

"It's too much, isn't it?"

Asagao looked up into the blushing face of pro hero Chargebolt and smiled. "I don't think it's too much, at all! Any girl would be lucky to receive these."

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Okay, if you think so."

The florist swore she heard Meiko and Akari stifling their giggles as she passed the absolutely massive bouquet of purple irises over to the pro hero. The poor man had walked in over an hour ago, and when she'd set the catalogue in front of him, she thought he was about to have a heart attack. The only thing he knew he wanted was purple, but even with that specification, the selection process took him ages.

As she ran his credit card, Chargebolt looked the flowers over, grinning widely. "I know my Kyoka's gonna love them," he told Asa. "She's not a girly girl, but the purple totally goes with her vibes! And I like the meaning, too."

Asa chuckled, "Like I said, she's very lucky."

"I think I'm the lucky one," he replied with a shake of his head. "I don't know how she deals with a total dunce like me."

Okay, she _definitely_ just heard a snort from Akari. Ignoring it, Asagao handed the card back over. "A real dunce wouldn't buy his girlfriend flowers just because," the florist pointed out.

His face was flushing again, but Chargebolt shrugged. "Maybe. Thanks a bunch, though! Midoriya-kun was right about you! You were super helpful."

Asa's heart skipped a beat. Deku had been talking about her? Really?

The pro hero stumbled out the door a minute later. The moment he was gone, Meiko and Akari finally let loose their laughter.

Asa threw a well aimed rose at them.

* * *

"I'm still not used to this," Akari whispered.

Meiko hummed, "I doubt we ever will be."

Their boss tossed them a look to let them know she'd heard. Then, she turned her attention back to the hero in front of her. "So you just want sunflowers?"

"Mmhm," Uravity nodded. "At least a dozen! No wrapping or anything— I'm gonna put them in a vase right away."

Asagao motioned for one of her employees to go grab the flowers. Akari slipped on a pair of gloves and disappeared into the back.

"That'll be twenty-five thirty-two," Asa told the hero.

Uravity handed over cash with a sparkle in her eyes. "I really am so excited that I could finally stop by!" she said. "This place is just as cute as Deku-kun said, and so are you!"

The florist's breath caught. Wait, what—?

"He said he connected a lot with the sunflowers here, so I thought I'd get him some," Uravity chattered on obliviously. "He's never decorated his office at the agency, and I've been trying to get him to do it for ages, but he always says he's too busy! I mean, I guess he is, but that's still no excuse."

In a matter of seconds, Asagao felt her heart go from soaring to hollow.

She pushed through, slapping a smile on her face until the anti-gravity hero had skipped out the door. The second she left, Asa told Meiko and Akari she needed a break.

Asa flopped down on the greenhouse floor next to her asagaos. She bit into an apple frustratedly.

Funny how little it took to send her emotions into a tizzy. She had almost forgotten the eternal question of whom Deku was getting the flowers for. But now, with Uravity in the shop getting flowers for him…were all those magazines right? They had dated in high school. And she could see some of the flower meanings he wanted applying to Uravity.

Violet eyes dragged over to the morning glories on her left. They whispered a sweet apology. They knew how she felt better than anyone, after all.

Asa let out a sigh. Tomorrow was Tuesday.

Had the week really passed so quickly? She supposed she had been rather caught up in all the chaos of her strange new clientele, but…

For the first time since all this began, Asagao found that she wasn't too thrilled about seeing Deku tomorrow.

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**Who are the flowers for? Will Asa finally get answers? Will she ever get over Deku? Find out next week! And please leave a review!**


	5. Chapter 5

**We're back again! Thank you SO MUCH for all the love and support for this story! It brightens my day so much to read all of your hilarious reviews. Now, without further ado, prepare yourself for, well...you'll see. Enjoy!**

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That weird feeling from the night before didn't go away when she woke up. Asa stared out at the early July morning view from her bed. Clouds were covering the sky. Rain. Of course.

Asagao sighed and pushed her face back into the pillow. Maybe if she could avoid the inevitable for just a few more minutes, it'd help her feel better.

But no, of course it didn't. The florist eventually dragged herself out of bed, into the shower, to the kitchen, and out the door like always, all the while cursing the fact that it was Tuesday.

'Should I text Hana-chan?' she wondered. Asa's hand wandered toward her phone in her raincoat pocket, but she stopped herself. She was a grown woman. She needed to start handling this on her own. But right now, she didn't feel that sort of confidence. She felt jumbled up, confused, and just wanted her heart to be able to get over it all, yet she didn't have a single clue as to how she could do that.

The pink flower shop with her name on it came into view, and Asa couldn't help but smile. Her little lovelies needed her. Her clients needed her. Sure, her emotions were all sorts of messed up right now, but she could push past that, right?

Apparently not.

As she went through her day, Asagao decided that emotions were dumb. They were uncontrollable, out of control, and she didn't know how to get them under control.

Asa waved goodbye to her last bride of the day ten minutes til six, the false smile she'd had on falling from her face immediately. The young woman sighed and rubbed her temples, frustrated. What was going on with her? All she knew was that her heart felt broken by someone it had never belonged to, and that made her feel like the biggest idiot that ever walked the face of the planet.

Okay, that was extreme, but still. She'd had a crush on the number one hero for four years, and now that she'd met him…it felt like the fantasy she'd built in her head was turning more into a nightmare.

Tired violet eyes drifted up to the clock on the wall. Great. He'd probably be here any minute now. And it was still raining outside, as though the weather itself decided to match her misery.

The florist set about tidying her shop as usual before closing. She could feel the flowers all around her trying to whisper happy thoughts, but the well wishes rang hollow. Sometimes it took more than a few words of encouragement to mend a broken heart.

Asagao was turned around tending to a wilting bouquet when the object of her affections entered. That conflicted feeling that had been rattling around all day stirred within her once more. She turned to face him wearing a forced cheery smile.

It quickly faded.

Deku's lips were pulled down into a frown. His shoulders were slumped. There were bags under his eyes. Everything about him screamed defeat, and suddenly, Asa felt her turbulent emotions being replaced with worry.

"Hey," she greeted cautiously.

Dull green eyes lifted to meet hers. Deku put on a strained grin. "Hey. I'm late again, I know."

Her eyes flicked to the clock. "Not as bad as usual," she shrugged, trying to keep things light. "Was there a villain out that I didn't hear about on the news?"

The hero shook his head. "Not exactly."

Asa swallowed and nodded. What should she say? Clearly something was wrong, but…was it even her place to ask?

She watched as, seemingly in slow motion, Deku reached for where he usually kept his phone. Then, he paused. "Oh, right. I, uh, didn't have time to look things up this week," he confessed. Deku rubbed his eyes and sighed. "Do you have anything that's for health?"

Any remaining worries from her day melted away at his request. "Well, I have some peonies and yarrow I could put together, and…" she trailed off. Was it just her, or was there a faraway look in his eyes?

Asa's head tilted. "Midoriya-san?"

He jolted, blinking at her. "Yeah?"

"I…" the florist hesitated. "It's none of my business, but…it seems like something's wrong, so…if you need anything, you know, more than flowers, just let me know."

Green eyes widened. He blinked several more times, and she wondered if she had really just crossed the line, but then, Deku relaxed. A hand came up and scratched the back of his head. "Not all heroes wear capes," he muttered to himself. "I don't want to keep you, though. I'm sure you have other things to do."

Asa offered a gentle grin. "Half of being a florist is being a part time therapist for clients," she said. "Not that I'm an expert or anything, but I think I can be a pretty good listener."

Deku swallowed, and his eyes darted to the floor. "If you really don't mind."

In response, Asa simply started over toward her client table. She grabbed the teapot off of it, then waved a hand. "Go ahead and have a seat. I'll get us some tea. Is lavender okay with you?"

His lips twitched upward. "That sounds great, actually."

Smiling softly, Asa left the shop and went into the greenhouse. She made her way through the rows of flowers to the little makeshift kitchen area. As Asagao set about making a new batch of tea, her mind drifted aimlessly from one idea to another about what could have possibly made Deku so upset. Of course, everyone had difficult times at some point during their lives, but it also seemed so out of character for him. And wouldn't she have heard on the news if something big was going on in his life?

The sunflowers were nudging her heart from the other side of the greenhouse, and a thought occurred to her. The first bouquet had been…random. He picked it mostly for the colors, yellow and pink and green. The next one had been love, yet none of the flowers he'd wanted were specifically romantic love. The most recent bouquet was for hope.

And again, there had never been any roses.

Asa paused in the middle of grabbing a bottle of honey. There was a thread connecting it all, she just didn't know what it was.

When the florist entered the front of her shop, tea tray in hand, she found the number one pro hero sitting at her client table with his back to the window. His elbows were on the table, and his chin rested in his hands. It almost looked like he'd been taking a nap from the way he blinked at her blearily.

She set the tray down in front of him, and Deku tilted his head. "Did you always have tea around?" he asked.

"Usually only for my bridal clients," Asa replied. "Consider yourself a special exception."

A little smile came onto his face. "I think you've made a special exception for me more than once, now."

If it weren't for the grey mood hanging over their heads, Asa would've blushed. "Perhaps," she said simply.

She reached for the pot, but Deku beat her to it, pouring both of them a full cup. The two stirred honey into their tea in a comfortable silence. Asagao watched with mild anticipation as he took a sip.

Pleasant surprise came onto his face. "That's amazing."

Asa laughed, "You didn't think I'd give you something bad, did you?"

"It's just better than I expected," he amended with a chuckle.

So there they were. The hero and the florist. Strange how suddenly it felt like it wasn't that…almost like they were just Midoriya and Nakano. Neither was higher or lower than the other. For the first time, sitting down at the table, drinking tea, they were truly equals.

Asagao didn't say anything. Midoriya seemed to be contemplating how to start, staring down at his tea as he stirred it in thought. She saw him swallow hard before he let out a shaky breath.

"I-It feels like a long story, but it's really not," he sighed. Midoriya glanced up. Asa nodded for him to go ahead.

The hero's shoulders slumped. "It's my mother. She was diagnosed with cancer a few months ago."

Asa swore she could literally hear her heart break.

"I don't like my personal life being out in the open," he continued, "Bad things happen to people close to heroes, so most of us keep our lives private. It's for the protection of the people we love, but…"

"But it also must feel really lonely," the young woman finished. Midoriya nodded. Her heart twisted. "Midoriya-san, I am so sorry."

Green eyes flicked down. His hands gripped the teacup tighter. "She's been in the hospital since March. I've called in every favor I could, got people with healing quirks from all around the world to try to cure her—" His voice broke off.

"And?" Asa prompted gently.

Midoriya shook his head, "And nothing. No one is able to do it."

Silence settled over the table.

After a minute had passed, Asa scooted forward in her seat. "Do you have anyone else you can talk to about this? People you can lean on?"

Thankfully, he nodded. "My old classmates. Most of us keep in touch, and they've been helping me where they can, covering shifts if I needed to be at the hospital. Besides that, though, basically no one. Mom wanted it to stay quiet so the press wouldn't hound me about it, and I wanted her to have her privacy."

It was all starting to make sense. The flowers, the meanings, the late arrivals, the secrecy of the recipient— even why he brought Shoto last week.

"The bouquets were for your mother," Asa realized aloud.

A slightly amused grin came onto his lips. "I'm sure I made you curious with how weird I was acting," he said.

Warmth rushed to her cheeks. "No, I— well, yes," she admitted. "You…you brought a very interesting twist to my everyday life."

"Guess I hadn't thought of it that way," Midoriya hummed. "I just wanted flowers that wouldn't die every week, but from your perspective…"

Asa grinned awkwardly. "It's a little shocking to have the number one pro hero showing up at my shop every two weeks."

Were his eyes twinkling? Maybe it was the lighting in the shop. It was still so dreary outside, and somehow, that made it feel all the more cozy in her store. That, plus the tea, had to be the reason she was feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

"She loves them, by the way," Midoriya told her. "My mom says they brighten up her hospital room. Whenever you were in the back, I'd take pictures of the store and send them to her." His eyes shifted to look around the flower shop. "I promised her I'd bring her here when she's well enough. I'm hoping it'll be soon."

Suddenly, Asa was close to tears. And when Midoriya turned back, she knew it wasn't the lights that made his eyes look glassy.

"I'm so so sorry," she whispered. "I can't imagine what you're going through."

Midoriya smiled wearily. "It's okay. But you've helped more than you could possibly know. I can't thank you enough for that."

The tears were threatening to spill over now. Asa got up from her chair abruptly, turning immediately toward the door to the greenhouse and wiping her eyes. "You, ah," she swallowed hard before she dared to look at him again. "You finish that tea, okay? It's lavender, good for relaxing."

Midoriya regarded the cup in his hand curiously. "Any chance you'll tell me the brand?"

Her lips twitched up. "I have a top secret supplier." A top secret supplier whose name was Meiko, what with her handy calming quirk, but she wasn't about to give that away.

A green eyebrow lifted mischievously. "No special exceptions?" he teased.

"You wish," Asa laughed. She heard snickers behind her as she walked through the door, and that tight feeling in her heart finally eased. The florist didn't know how much she'd really helped by just sitting there, listening, and giving him tea, but she hoped that it had lifted his spirits at least a little.

Almost like they'd been listening to the conversation, the peonies and yarrow were calling to her. She wandered over to the peonies first. They instinctually sent a wave of comfort over her, and she picked up several of the pinks.

Asagao smiled sadly. "Thank you, little ones," she whispered. The peonies snuggled into her hold, filling her heart with warmth as she went to gather the yellow yarrow. Once the two were together in her hands, they wrapped her in a feeling like a fuzzy blanket.

Extra time was put into the wrapping process. She layered a few different papers, adding in some green tissue to match the color scheme of Midoriya's first bouquet. Something about those colors must mean something between him and his mother.

Asa tied off the ribbon and held the bouquet up for evaluation. Another gentle tingle from the flowers ran through her, and she nodded. These would be perfect for his mother…but why did she feel like it wasn't enough?

There was someone else reaching out, an all too familiar voice that had been crying for her attention all day. Hesitant violet eyes looked toward them. The _asagaos_ beckoned her closer.

Asa walked toward them in a daze. Why did they want her? They were hardly appropriate to go with the rest of the flowers. Unrequited love was nowhere near similar to wishes for health.

And yet, she couldn't look away. The morning glories peered up at her, their white centers blooming out into rich purple, and she reached out a hand. A finger trailed along the petals. The flowers nudged her in return.

Suddenly, it seemed all too clear what they were trying to say. "But that's…" she trailed off. "I don't want it to seem…it's an inappropriate time, isn't it? And we hardly know each other. He has more important things to deal with right now."

The _asagaos_ shook their delicate heads. A sensation rose from the group, prodding her heart. Asa sighed. As much as she sometimes hated it, they had always been a part of her. They understood her better than any flower, had been her symbol since birth. Perhaps their true meaning didn't matter right now. Perhaps it was just that it was a piece of her heart, some sort of way she could give a part of herself as a gift.

She picked up a single stem before she could change her mind.

When Asagao re-entered the front of the shop, she found that Midoriya was taking the last sip of his tea.

His green eyes brightened upon her entrance. The hero stood up, making his way to investigate the new bouquet. "You said peonies, and…?"

"Yarrow," she filled in, shrugging, "It's not a name most are familiar with. Sometimes people mix it up with baby's breath."

Midoriya nodded happily. Then, his eyes flickered to the morning glory in her other hand. His head tilted. _"Asagao?"_

Asa fought back a blush. It was so strange to hear her given name from his lips. If the thought hadn't occurred to her before, she was now more than hyperaware that they were completely alone in her shop.

She gave him a nod to answer his question, then distracted herself by humming to her flowers. Once the ritual was complete, she handed them over.

"I— well, consider it a gift from me," Asa said. "For you to keep for yourself, not give away, that is."

Midoriya stared at the morning glory curiously. "Hmm…I can't remember what the meaning was. I'll look it up when I get home."

And there it was, now her cheeks were definitely at least a little pink. "I-It's um," she stammered. "The meaning doesn't really matter right now, it's just sort of me saying, well, showing some support for you because you've been giving so much for your mom, and I think it's really sweet, and, uh, so, yeah. An _asagao_ from Asagao." Ugh, and to think she'd thought she wouldn't be flustered by him for once.

Painfully silent seconds ticked by as he examined the morning glory in his hand. When he finally looked up and smiled, Asa had to hold back a sigh of relief.

"Thank you, Nakano-ch— ah, san," he corrected quickly. "Sorry, that's…too familiar, I, um…"

Asa gazed at him with wide eyes. Why were they both stumbling over their words so much? Was there a strange tension in the air? Was he—? Oh my, yes, his face _was_ turning red. How long had they been alone in this shop together? Because right now, it was beginning to feel a little longer than would be normal for perfect strangers.

Then again, they weren't exactly complete strangers at this point. He'd followed her around her greenhouse asking questions and even brought his best friend. There was a sense of familiarity about them…so why were they both suddenly acting so strange?

Midoriya was scratching the back of his head now. "I, uh, guess I should pay?"

The florist jolted out of her daze. Right, that was a thing that needed to happen.

She held out an expectant hand. He fumbled for his wallet (like always). He gave her an embarrassed grin when he handed the credit card over. She bit her lip to hold in the giggle that was threatening to burst out. Some things never changed.

The transaction went through in silence. It was oddly…comfortable, given how awkward a minute ago had been. Had he really nearly called her Nakano-chan? No, it was probably just a slip of the tongue.

When she gave the card back to him, Asa noted that the red hue on his face had faded only slightly. Maybe he blushed easily?

"Guess you're closing up now?" Midoriya asked conversationally as he stuffed his card back in his wallet.

Asa nodded. "I already did most of the cleaning while waiting for you, don't worry." Don't worry? Why would he be worried? What was she saying? Why did she think for a second he'd be worried?

And yet, she couldn't help but notice how his eyes lit up a bit. "Oh good! I still feel bad for keeping you," he admitted.

The shopkeeper opened her mouth to say that it was fine, but the hero surprised her.

"What else do you have to do?" Midoriya asked. "Can I help? Please? It'd take some of the guilt off my conscience."

Asagao blinked. She really wished these moments didn't keep catching her off guard. "I— okay, I guess so. Um…" She turned to scan the shop. The teapot caught her eyes. "You can clear the table, if you really want to."

She swore the hero bounced on his feet. Asa tried to hold in a laugh as he set his flowers down on the counter ever so gently, then sprinted over to her client table. He placed everything on the tray she'd brought them in on and looked to her.

"Where do they go?" he inquired.

Shaking her head because honestly, this was just so weird and hilarious at the same time, Asa said, "Follow me."

Midoriya trailed at her feet as she lead him back to the little greenhouse kitchenette. After he insisted on cleaning the teapot, she left him with soap and a sponge to go tend to her flowers. They were all bursting with curiosity at Midoriya's presence, and even more so at her change of mood from earlier in the day.

The red roses were teasing her from the middle aisles as her hands passed by, and Asa rolled her eyes. "Oh, shut up, will you?"

"Huh?"

The florist's head turned to see a confused Midoriya peeking out from the kitchenette. She wanted to slap herself. Had she said that out loud? Yeah, yeah she had.

"Sorry, not you," she apologized. "It's the flowers. They're being silly."

An amused smile came onto Midoriya's face. "It's because of me, isn't it?" he asked, toweling down the teapot in his hands. "They don't know what to do with a strange man like me."

This time, Asa couldn't hold it back. "I don't think strange is the word I'd use for you," she laughed.

He set the teapot down, then shot her a mischievous look. "Now I want to ask what word you _would_ use for me."

Daring. Handsome. Bold. Incredible. Sweet. Intelligent. Silly. Adorable.

"Hmm…late."

"Hey!"

Asagao snickered at the aghast look on Midoriya's face. "Among other things," she teased.

After a few more moments of staring, he shook his head and covered his eyes with his hand. "I feel terrible that I've created this awful reputation with you," he groaned.

Asa shrugged as she started toward the door. "I won't tell. Client confidentiality."

There was a sigh behind her. "I'm more worried about what you think than what others do."

Her heart stuttered. What did _that_ mean?

She didn't let herself think on it too long, tossing off her apron and replacing it with a raincoat. When she had grabbed her purse, she popped back up to see Midoriya looking at her expectantly.

"Anything else to do?" he asked.

"Nope, all done," she said. She came around the counter, and the pair began walking toward the front door. A switch of the lights later, Midoriya was opening the door for her.

Violet eyes flicked to meet green. "You didn't have to, you know."

An eyebrow went up. "It's just a door."

"No," she laughed, "Helping me close up. I was almost done, anyways."

The hero shrugged. "Consider it a thank you for…well, a lot of things."

'A lot of things, hm?' Asa thought. 'What does he mean by that?'

And just like before in the shop, Asagao suddenly found herself very aware of the environment they were in.

The street her shop sat on was mostly quiet, with the exception of the occasional passing car. The wet pavement was glimmering with the early evening glow of street lights, and the rain continued to come down in a steady rhythm.

And there they were, the hero and the florist, just standing outside her shop seemingly without the intention of going anywhere.

Asa found herself lost in the colors of his eyes. There was deep emerald like summer grass, hints of lime like chrysanthemums, and sage like the herb garden in her kitchen at home. Midoriya's eyes truly were breathtaking. She wondered if—

The blast of a nearby train horn startled them out of their daze at the same time.

Asa blushed and hastily reached for her shop keys. She still hadn't even locked the door.

There was the sound Midoriya clearing his throat. "Do you have an umbrella?" he asked.

Asa secured the lock, then glanced at him curiously. "Why?"

Green eyes (the beautiful ones she'd just been caught gazing into) looked away. "The rain hasn't let up any," Midoriya replied, peering up toward the sky. The only thing that was keeping them dry right now was the little awning over her shop door. "I, ah, have one, if you need it. I'm going to go take these flowers to my mom at the hospital, but I'm not in a rush."

Amused, Asa flipped the hood of her raincoat up in response.

Midoriya blinked. "Oh. Right. Raincoat."

The giggle that escaped her lips sounded like it was straight out of some cheesy high school anime. "I think I'll be fine in the monsoon, but thanks, Midoriya-san," she teased. "See you in two weeks?"

"Y-Yeah, see you then." Did he stutter? "Get home safely," he added on.

There was an awkward moment where neither one of them moved. Then, Midoriya bowed a little, and he started walking in the opposite direction of her apartment.

Asagao wasn't sure how long she stared after him, only that, when his head turned back a few seconds later, she caught him looking and waved.

Once he had disappeared around the block, the young woman let out a little chuckle and finally started the journey home. Funny, for someone who seemed so observant all the time, Midoriya had completely missed the fact that she was wearing a raincoat. Why would she need an umbrella? And why did he mention he wasn't in a rush? That seemed like a random comment to say to—

Asa practically screeched to a halt on the sidewalk.

Wait. Was he...?

Violet eyes widened.

_Had he been offering to walk her home?_

A scarlet blush spread across her cheeks. The train horn sounded again, prompting Asa back into motion.

Her mind felt like it was working overtime as she walked home. No, surely Midoriya hadn't been offering to walk her home. That was…it didn't make any sense. It was just her overactive (and overly hopeful) imagination. And okay, if he had been offering, then it was probably a normal hero thing to do. Heroes did stuff like that, right? Walk a lady home in a rainstorm? Ugh, she didn't know. It sounded like something he would do, though.

Yeah, it didn't mean anything, just like how that weird moment where they'd been staring into each other's eyes also didn't mean anything. Maybe she'd had a smudge of dirt on her face. Wouldn't be the first time.

Then Asa remembered where he said he was going. Her heart dropped a little. His poor mother. Asagao recalled a childhood friend of hers going through something similar. It had torn the family apart watching their father battle the illness. And to think it was something even healing quirks couldn't fix…it was a strange reminder that quirks, though they were often thought of as this magical evolution of the human race, weren't miracle workers. What if…?

The pain in her chest increased at the thought. No, she wouldn't think like that. Midoriya's mother would get better. They had to have hope. And in the meantime, she'd happily play her part as the girl who provided flowers for her hospital room. It wasn't much, but she would be grateful to be of any help at all.

Asa wandered into her apartment in a weary daze. What a strange day it had been. Most of it still didn't even feel real…having dinner would probably help, she decided.

Fifteen minutes later, once Asa had settled down in front of the tv with a massive salad, her phone dinged.

'Probably Hana-chan,' she mused.

Asa took a few more bites of food before she bothered to open her phone. And thank goodness she had already swallowed, or else she was pretty sure she would have choked.

There, on her screen, was a selfie of none other than the number one pro hero.

He was smiling brightly, one arm outstretched to hold his phone and the other wrapped around the shoulders of an older woman with green hair just like his. The woman was smiling gently from her position sitting upright in a hospital bed. A familiar bouquet sat in her lap.

**Unknown Number:** She thinks they're beautiful! I told her about the tea, and she wants to try some. Pretty please can I know the brand? Thanks again Nakano-san!

Asa blinked at the green heart emoji at the end of the text. How—?

Right. She put her cell phone number on her business card. Now she just had to figure out what to say back.

After agonizing over it for five minutes, Asa sent the text before she could change her mind.

**Asa:** Hm…I might be able to spare a few teabags next time you come in. Glad she likes them! Tell her I hope she feels better soon!

The reply came quicker than she expected.

**Unknown Number:** I told her! Thank you for the special exception ;)

Asa may or may not have squealed into a pillow.

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**Hope you liked it! Please leave a review! Also, I've gotten a question about whether or not there will be a Deku POV. Don't worry, there will be (and it's so adorable, I've already started writing it), but this is primarily an Asa POV story. **


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everyone! I still can't believe all the support this fic is getting, so thank you so much for the love! **

**I've honestly fallen in love with this fic so much, and after a creative jam session with one of my lovely amazing friends, y'all need to buckle your seat belts because you aren't ready for what's going to happen. **

**Was this fic originally going to end around 70k+ words and be overall fluffy? Yup. Is it now going to be a roller coaster of drama, angst, romantic tensions, and even more ships? Oh you betcha. **

**Anyways, enjoy this chapter!**

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Ever since that rainy evening two weeks ago, there had been a marked shift in, well, everything. Mostly in how Asagao had been floating on cloud nine, and her feelings had changed in a way that she couldn't totally explain.

He wasn't Deku anymore. He was Midoriya. He wasn't some practically perfect pinnacle of the hero world. He was a human with trials and tribulations. He wasn't above it all. He was down to earth and on her level.

But most importantly, it wasn't a celebrity crush anymore. It was an actual crush, and Asa still hadn't decided if that was a good thing or a bad thing.

As she arranged a bouquet in front of her, a little smile came onto Asa's lips. That had been happening a lot lately, and especially today whenever her mind flitted to the conversation they'd had last night. Even though she'd never requested it, Midoriya had taken to texting her updates on how his mother was doing. He often sent pictures along with them, usually of his mother and him with her flowers. Asa wished there was a way she could express how much all of it meant to her.

Last night had been particularly important because Midoriya had told her that they finally found someone with a quirk that would help. A pro hero from England by the name of X-Ray was coming. Apparently his quirk had been used for radiation therapy for Midoriya's mother's type of cancer before, and he would be on a plane to Japan tomorrow night.

For all the relief Asagao felt, she couldn't imagine how Midoriya had reacted when he heard the news. Speaking of which…

Violet eyes flicked up to the clock. Hmm, twenty to six. Strange she hadn't—

Her cellphone pinged right on time.

Asa giggled and pulled it out of her apron pocket to check the screen.

**Midoriya:** On my way! :D

Butterflies fluttered around in her stomach. All of this was just so strange! She'd been obsessed with him for so many years, and now that her fangirling was being replaced by true affections for him…it was almost hard to believe that this was her reality.

Thankfully, she didn't have long to contemplate it.

As had happened every time her cell phone went off, an energetic blur of wild brown hair came into view over her shoulder.

"Is it him?" the blur's owner questioned. "Is he texting you? What'd he say?"

Asa snatched her phone away from prying hands. "Patience, Hiro-kun."

The would-be thief pouted. "Pleeeeeeeease, nē-chan," Hiroyasu begged. "Is he coming? Please tell me he's coming!"

She laughed, "He is, he is. Now help me clean up so Deku-san doesn't walk into a messy shop."

Hiroyasu gave a sharp salute. "Yes, Asa-sama!"

The older sister snorted and bumped her brother's shoulder as he ran past her. Understandably, he had been bouncing around all afternoon with nervous excitement. Her little Hiro was as big of a Deku fan as anyone else, after all.

Though Asagao had stayed true to her personal promise to keep Midoriya's visits quiet, her brother had accidentally caught a peek at her cell phone last week while he was visiting her apartment after school. To say that it took a long time to explain everything (and even longer to swear him to secrecy) would be an understatement.

Thoughtful eyes flickered over to where Hiro was dusting off one of her displays. She snickered at how he polished off every single centimeter of surface area for at least three seconds each. Then again, she was sure she would've acted the same had she been given a heads up about Midoriya's first arrival.

Asa hadn't even planned on having Hiro with her today, considering how private she was trying to keep everything for Midoriya's sake. But alas, something had come up with Akari, and her evening shift needed covering. And do you really think that Hiro would deny such an opportunity?

A sudden thought occurred to her. "Did you get something to eat before you came?" Asa asked.

Hiro looked over and nodded promptly. "Mom packed a big lunch for me today. I finished eating it on the walk over from school."

She nodded back. "Just checking. You know where I keep my stash in the back."

Her little brother jumped back to his work, and Asa stared out at the mid-July evening. It was a warm one, probably too warm for tea. She didn't know if Midoriya had time for it, anyways. And it wasn't like them sharing tea was some sort of set in stone plan. She just…kinda hoped it would be. Though their time at the table hadn't been long, it was a memory she replayed often. Something about it made her feel all tingly and silly.

The florist shook her head. Yeah, an actual crush already seemed like it was going to cause her much more trouble than a celebrity crush.

After checking her hair in a mirror on the wall, Asa picked up a cleaning towel and moved to join her brother. A distraction would be nice right now.

The siblings cleaned up the shop in relative silence, though it was broken every now and then by Hiro anxiously muttering to himself. If only Meiko was here to tap him with her calming quirk. In contemplating this, Asa realized belatedly that she wasn't the least bit nervous to see Midoriya today. Well, she was, but it was different. It wasn't that high anxiety, pulse racing sort of feeling, but just that stupid fluttering that wouldn't stop. Huh, that was new.

The final speck of dust gone, Asagao turned to see how her brother was faring on his side of the shop, only to smile gently.

"He's probably really nice," Hiroyasu was telling himself, nervousness clear in his voice. "He wouldn't be the number one hero if he wasn't nice. And nē-chan said he was nice, so I shouldn't be worried, and—"

Asa shook her head. Her little brother and her sometimes really were so similar.

A flash of familiar green crossing the street caught her eyes. The florist glanced over, and a wide grin spread across her face.

"—I mean, I bet he's probably super tall, too, so that's intimidating, but if—"

Asa cleared her throat. "Hiro-kun?"

Her little brother jumped, whirling around to stare at her with wide brown eyes. "Yeah, nē-chan?"

She tilted her head toward the window. "He's coming."

"Ah!"

Asagao burst out laughing as Hiro ran to pick up his cleaning supplies and stuff them away somewhere. He rushed into the greenhouse, where she heard a clattering sound that made her wince, before he came back, dusted off his apron, and stationed himself behind the counter with his back ramrod straight.

The older sister only had a brief moment to laugh before the shop bell dinged behind her.

She turned to see Midoriya a few feet away wearing his usual embarrassed smile. His mouth was open to give an apology, but she cut him off.

"Avoiding the crowds again?" she teased.

Green eyes lit up, and he scratched the back of his head. "I knew you'd figure out why I always come in so last minute eventually," he chuckled.

Asa hummed, her eyes flicking down to admire his outfit briefly (only he could make that bubblegum Pinky hoodie look good). "Please, I figured it out ages ago," she claimed.

Midoriya grinned. His eyes darted over to Hiroyasu, then back to her in a silent question. Oh right, there had never been anyone else in the shop with them before (Shoto excluded). She should probably keep the flirting to a minimum— I mean, should probably introduce them.

Asagao started toward the counter, motioning to Hiro with her hand. "Midoriya-san, Hiroyasu-kun. My little brother."

Said brother was obviously in shock. His mouth had dropped open, and he hadn't moved an inch from his position behind the counter. When Asa patted him on the shoulder, Hiro jolted.

"N-Nice to meet you, sir!" Hiro stammered.

Asa's heart swelled when Midoriya put on a bright smile. "Nice to meet you, too! I didn't know Nakano-san had a brother."

An amused look came onto her face. "It's not like it exactly came up naturally during conversation," she pointed out. "What do you want today, by the way?"

"Mm, I was wondering if we could combine the last two bouquets for hope and health?" Midoriya requested. "She really liked the peonies and irises. Oh, and the snowdrops, too!"

The florist's expression melted into something softer. It was so wonderful to hear a more positive order this week. They really must believe that this pro hero's quirk would be able to heal her.

Asa glanced toward Hiro. "You get all that?"

"Yup!" Hiro nodded enthusiastically. "Eight of each?"

The older sister ruffled his hair. "Look at you, you're catching on!"

She heard Hiro mutter something about "treating him like a kid in front of Deku" before he grabbed a box and headed toward the greenhouse. Midoriya watched him disappear into the back with curious eyes.

Asa grinned. "He's covering a shift for one of my employees," she explained. "Gotta put him to work. Getting to meet you isn't free."

Midoriya let out a little laugh. "Don't go too hard on him, or he might never come back," he joked.

The florist leaned against the counter. "Oh you should've seen him earlier when I had him bringing in bags of soil. Not his favorite moment."

The two shared a snicker, then Midoriya tapped his cheek in thought. "I noticed he didn't pick up any gloves— does he have the same quirk as you?"

"Nope," Asa shook her head. "He has a pair in the back."

"Oh, what is his then?" he asked.

She shrugged, "He doesn't have one."

And just like that, the shop was plunged into a dead silence.

Asagao watched as Midoriya seemed to go through numerous emotions within a matter of seconds. He blinked, his mouth gaping, then his brows furrowed, and he said, "He— He's quirkless?"

Suddenly Asa was taken back to playgrounds, school hallways, parks, neighborhood streets. All the tears, all the hurtful words, all the times her brother had cowered behind her. The silent hatred she'd held for so many years for quirks and the hero society that left people in the dust simply because they weren't born in that so-called "lucky" eighty percentile.

That old defensiveness that was never too far away began bubbling up inside of her, and the older sister lifted her chin defiantly. "Being quirkless doesn't make any person less than another. We're all human at the end of the day, quirks or not, and the strength it takes to be quirkless in this world is a power of its own."

Midoriya was gazing at her with wide eyes, his mouth open like he was ready to say something, but she kept going. "He's the first quirkless student to get into UA," she informed him proudly. "Even if he's not in the hero course, I really feel like he paved the way for other students. The first years have three quirkless kids in their class, and I don't think their applications would've been looked at had he not showed what he was capable of first. UA never gave kids like him a chance because they weren't worth their time until he proved them otherwise."

Her last words echoed in the shop. The number one pro hero was still just looking at her, and she stared back challengingly. Asa didn't even remember crossing her arms, or how she'd straightened up to her full height (which, admittedly, was nothing next to Midoriya). Still, she wasn't going to back down. Hiro had been through enough in his life. She wasn't going to let him be judged by someone else who didn't even know him.

Midoriya's mouth snapped shut, and Asagao lifted an eyebrow. She could feel more words waiting to burst forth, but she held her tongue for now. Asa had dealt with these situations enough to know when someone was trying to figure out how to respond.

It took him a moment. She waited with barely contained impatience.

"Nakano-san…" he trailed off. "That, that is so _amazing!"_

Asa blinked.

"I mean really, that's just incredible!" Midoriya continued. "I know what it was like when I went there, and it's great to hear that he's making a path for others! People without quirks should never be treated any differently, no matter what school it is, and that's how it should be. It's fantastic that UA is letting quirkless kids attend now!"

He was smiling so brightly at her, his words enunciated with an enthusiasm that only continued to grow, and all Asa could do was blink again.

When she didn't say anything, Midoriya's head tilted. "Nakano-san? Are you okay?"

The two stared at each other for a moment. Asa felt embarrassment rising in her. She had really just assumed that Midoriya would think less of her brother for being quirkless. How stupid was that? Everyone knew that Midoriya was a big advocate for quirkless kids, even helping out with a political campaign to ensure equal education opportunities for everyone, quirk or no quirk. And for what? It didn't seem like he had any reason to care for quirkless kids other than out of the kindness of his own heart.

Midoriya would be the last person to look down on someone without a quirk, and she should've known that.

And yet there she'd been, expecting him to be like every other person she'd ever met with a powerful quirk.

Her cheeks grew hot. "Sorry, I kinda jumped the gun there, I—"

"No, no, I think it's wonderful!" Midoriya interrupted. "Please don't apologize. I'm guessing he had some difficulties growing up?"

Asa let out a sigh, her arms finally falling from their crossed position, and looked toward the greenhouse door. "Yeah. Quirkless kids are the easiest targets for bullying. I was actually really nervous when he got into UA," she admitted, "but so far things have been fine. He's in the support department, and his sensei has been really great at making sure he excels."

A gentle smile came onto the hero's face. "That's really awesome," he said earnestly. "I'm sure he's going to do great there. I owe so much of who I am to my time at UA and to the people who invested themselves in me. I'm sure he's going to make his mark— well, he already has!"

Asagao's heart was so warm, she thought it would explode. How lucky was she to be here, in this moment, with the number one pro hero? A pro hero who didn't view quirkless people as lesser. A pro hero who was so undeniably humble. A pro hero who always put others first.

A pro hero who was winning over more and more of her heart every single day without even trying.

The florist opened her mouth to try to express something along the lines of what she was thinking, but was cut off by the sound of the greenhouse door opening.

Hiro popped into the shop with a full box in his gloved hands. "For you, nē-chan!" he said, placing the box in front of her. "I even got the paper, too!"

"My hero!" Asa cried.

Her little brother immediately gave her an annoyed look. "You said you'd stop using that pun when I was ten. That was six years ago."

Snickering, Asagao began pulling the stems out to arrange them. Midoriya shifted and leaned against the counter. "Does she have a secret pun problem?" he asked curiously.

As though he had forgotten the pro hero was there, Hiro jumped a bit. His eyes glanced around, looking for who Midoriya was talking to for a few seconds before realizing it was him. "O-Oh! Yeah, she does, a-although I don't think it's a problem, because— wait, how does mom say it?" Hiro asked.

"'Because a problem is something that can be fixed'," Asa recited. "Much like you and your American tv obsession."

"_Friends_ is a classic," Hiro shot back.

"You can quote almost every episode word for word!"

"Because it was worth the time spent rewatching it all the way through three times!"

"I haven't seen that show, but I've heard a lot about it," Midoriya cut in casually. Asa glanced up, and something about the twinkle in his beautiful green eyes told her that he found the sibling argument very funny. Then, without warning, he winked.

Her heart practically stopped.

Thankfully, Midoriya's eyes shifted from her to her brother just as she ducked her face to cover a blush. "So I heard you're at UA! How do you like it so far?"

"It's really great!" she heard Hiro respond. "The classes are tougher than I expected, but—"

Nope, no, no, no, no, no he did _not_ just wink at her. Why did he wink at her? Nope, it hadn't been a wink, there was just something in his eyes. But that didn't explain the cheeky grin on his face. Ughhhh, she didn't know if she could handle this right now. Hadn't she been all calm and collected a few minutes ago?

'Flowers, Asa, just focus on the flowers,' she commanded herself.

The florist began humming as she arranged the bouquet, idly listening to Midoriya and Hiroyasu chatting in the background about school.

"How are all the senseis doing? Is Aizawa-san still as strict as he used to be?"

"I heard he kicked out someone on the first day of class, and he's kinda scary whenever he comes to the support workshop."

"Yeah, I remember being freaked out by him at first. He does give that impression, but he really was the best sensei I could've asked for. And besides, he's actually got a big soft side."

Asa's mind went back to a few weeks ago, and she nodded in affirmation. "He was in here a few weeks ago with his daughter," she commented.

Midoriya looked at her, surprise on his face. "He came here with Eri?"

"Cute girl with the silver hair and a unicorn horn?" Asa checked.

When Midoriya nodded, Hiro's eyes lit up in recognition. "Oh! I've seen her around campus! She's a first year. I didn't know she was Aizawa-sensei's daughter. They look nothing alike."

"She's adopted," Midoriya supplied. "She's really nice, too. I bet you two would get along great!"

Asagao glanced up, and yup, there was a light flush on her brother's face. She tried to hide a snicker. The knowing look she got from Midoriya told her she'd failed.

"Next time you see Aizawa-san, you should tell him I said hi," Midoriya continued, mercifully moving on. "I see him all the time at work, but I think he'd get a kick out of it. You should ask him how many times he had to send me to Recovery Girl in my first year."

Hiroyasu nodded like he'd just been given the world's most serious top secret mission assignment. "Will do!"

Right as the conversation drew to a close, Asa finished putting the bouquet together. She hummed a final little tune, then handed the bouquet to an awaiting Midoriya.

"That'll be thirty-two fifty-nine— oh!" She snapped her fingers. "The tea! Hiro-kun, I put a small box with purple paper in the kitchen, can you go grab it?"

Hiro darted into the greenhouse without a word, and Midoriya blinked. "You wrapped it?"

Asa shrugged. "Consider it an early birthday gift."

Green eyes widened. "You—"

"Everyone knows it's in two days, Midoriya-san," she teased. "It's all over the news. Aren't you meeting the prime minister?"

The hero looked down at the flowers awkwardly. "He's presenting me with an award," Midoriya mumbled. "It's not a big deal."

Grinning, Asagao held out a hand for his credit card. "Then don't think of it as a birthday gift. It'll be from me to your mom. She was the one who wanted the tea, anyways."

"It was her birthday two weeks ago, actually!" he told her as he rummaged for his card. "July fourth. My friends and I brought a cake to her hospital room and everything. It was actually really nice."

The florist's heart melted a bit. "I'm so glad she had a good birthday. And even happier that you found that guy to come help," she added on. "He's coming tomorrow, right?"

Midoriya nodded. "Right."

Well that was a short answer. Asa glanced up from the transaction screen to see the man in front of her shifting uncomfortably. Why did it feel like there was something else he wanted to say? He was usually more verbose than one word, even when it wasn't necessary.

It was still quiet when she handed the card back over, and she couldn't help but notice how Midoriya avoided her eyes. "I, ah…Nakano-san," he began, swallowing hard. "I, um…"

Her eyebrows raised. "Yes?"

Green eyes met hers, then looked away. "Well, I've been thinking about something lately, and you might not want to, but—"

Hiro burst through the door. "Sorry it took so long for me to find it," he apologized. "It wasn't in the kitchen, nē-chan, it was in your bag!"

Whatever Midoriya had been saying completely left her mind, and Asa slapped a hand to her forehead. "I'm so sorry, Hiro-kun. I thought I took it out this morning. Must have been half asleep, still."

Asagao took the little box from her brother's hands and handed it over to Midoriya. "You were saying?" she asked.

"Oh, uh, nothing!" Midoriya laughed nervously, his eyes flicking over to the clock. "It's, well, I gotta get going, and I'm sure you do, too!"

Asa's eyes narrowed at his strange behavior, but Hiroyasu evidently didn't notice anything out of the ordinary. "We do!" her little brother said. "I just got a text from mom saying we're running late. Nē-chan's having dinner with us at home tonight!"

"Oh that sounds great!" Midoriya replied far too enthusiastically.

"Yeah, mom's making ne-chan's favorite, katsudon," Hiro told him.

The pro hero was slowly inching toward the door, and Asa's brain was still working overtime trying to figure out what he had been about to ask. Something she might not want to do? What could that possibly mean?

Midoriya placed a hand on the door handle, a clear signal that he was ready to dart out of the shop. Before he did, though, he offered Hiro a polite smile. "Anyways, it was nice meeting you!"

"You too!" Her little brother waved. He then turned to her and pointed a thumb toward the back. "I'm going to go get my backpack, nē-chan."

She eyed Midoriya suspiciously. "Alright."

The awkward silence that followed Hiro's departure was almost predictable. Asa was still staring the hero down, and he was squirming under her inquisitive gaze.

"So…" he trailed off. "See you in two weeks?"

"Mmhm, see you then," she replied neutrally.

Again, Midoriya seemed like he was going to say something. Green eyes searched hers. Asa felt her hopes rising. But no, the hero thought twice about it and reached to open the door.

Okay, that's it.

The florist came around the counter. "Midoriya-san?"

He turned back to look at her. "Hm?"

Asa wondered if she was reading this right. She forced herself to meet his eyes without wavering. "Whatever you were going to say, you know you can just text me, yeah?"

At first he froze. Those incredible green eyes seemed to be filled with a slight terror, but when she offered him an encouraging (if not knowing) grin, Midoriya relaxed.

"I— yeah, yeah, I'll text you," he nodded. "Thanks. I, ah—" He looked down at his full hands. Asa laughed when she realized his predicament. She crossed the distance between them and opened the door for him. He grinned awkwardly. "Thanks again."

Amused, she shook her head. "No problem."

Midoriya passed through the door, turning back and raising the bouquet in a silly salute goodbye before he started down the sidewalk. Asa giggled as she waved back.

Once he was out of sight, she sighed happily and came back into the shop.

The door bell rang above her, and a few seconds later, Hiroyasu popped out of the back. "Is he gone?"

The older sister snorted. "Yes, yes he's gone."

"Whew," Hiro sighed. "I was so nervous! Did I do okay?"

"You did just fine," she teased, coming up and ruffling his hair. "Now come on, let's make sure everything's put away and hurry out of here. Mom's going to kill us if we don't get to the house soon."

"Yes, Asa-sama!"

Ten minutes later, Asagao had just finished locking the door when her cell phone dinged. She pulled it out of her back pocket without a second thought, but didn't have a chance to look at it before her brother was whirling around with wide eyes.

"Is it him again?" Hiro asked. "Is he coming back? Did he leave something behind?"

Asa swatted her brother away. "You're so nosy! Come on, we gotta go. The wrath of mother awaits."

"Ah, you're right!"

Her little brother scrambled ahead of her, walking hurriedly down the sidewalk at a pace she didn't really feel up to matching. It worked in her favor, though, seeing as how he couldn't snoop over her shoulder anymore.

Asa took the opportunity to take her phone back out. Something in the back of her mind was telling her that it was, indeed, a text from Midoriya— a quick look at her screen told her yes.

Her heart skipped a beat. What could he possibly…? The florist shook her head. Was she really going to just sit around wondering what he said when she could just open the stupid text?

Pulse raised only slightly, Asagao forced herself to push through the anticipation and unlock her phone.

**Midoriya:** I thought it'd be weird to ask in front of your brother, but would you like to get some dessert sometime soon? I know a good place near your shop :)

She froze.

What— wait, no…that didn't…he? Hold on. What? No. Yes. He did. _Huh?_

"Everything okay, nē-chan?"

Asagao's head snapped up. Hiroyasu was ahead of her on the sidewalk, but he had halted and was now staring at her with a worried expression. Oh. She'd literally stopped walking when she'd read that. She should say something so he wouldn't freak out.

Slyly slipping her phone behind her back, Asa moved to catch up with him. "Hmm…I think you could say so," she shrugged.

Hiro's brows furrowed in confusion. "Well, what is it?"

She snickered. "Not telling you!"

"Nē-chan!" he whined.

Asa laughed and skipped ahead of him, ignoring his incessant demands for answers. That bounce stayed in her step the entire way to her parent's house, and by the time they got there, she finally decided what she wanted to say back.

**Asagao:** I'd love to! I hope your tastes in desserts are as good as your tastes in flowers.

**Midoriya:** Guess you'll find out ;)

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**Me, cackling in the corner because now this story is really about to start rolling: please leave a review! **


	7. Chapter 7

**Greetings dear friends! I'm coming at you today with another chapter of this fic that has taken over my life, but a quick announcement first: if you want to draw fanart of this fic, please know that you are more than welcome to! One of you lovely readers drew Asagao last week, so if you decide to, please let me know so I can see! Enjoy!**

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It was the beginning of August, and even the muggy summer weather couldn't get Asa down. For obvious reasons, she'd been on top of the world the last two weeks.

No, she and Midoriya still hadn't gone on their…outing?

'Date,' her mind screamed at her.

Nope, she wasn't going to call it a date. I mean, did it have all the hallmarks of a date? Did his question make it sound like a date? Were they texting about it like it was a date? Had she invited Hana over to help her pick out an outfit for said non-date?

Yes.

But nope, Asagao wasn't about to call it that. Why she was so stubborn about it, she didn't know, but it probably had something to do with the fact that she was still in denial about it. Hopefully that would change once they, you know…actually went out. On a date. She was going on a date. Midoriya was taking her on a date.

She wished she could slap her face to get all these silly thoughts out of her head, but she couldn't do that while she was with her client. Instead, she simply watched the woman in front of her skim through the catalogue, and her mind wandered yet again.

Was the pink blouse she and Hana had chosen too girly? No, it would look good with her jeans. And the earrings. She couldn't forget the earrings. Hana had specifically said that they made her eyes pop. But what was he going to wear? What if she was too dressed up, or worse, not dressed up enough? Maybe she should reconsult with Hana and look at sundresses instead. Or she could just text Midoriya, but asking about attire seemed to set this strange reality in stone just a little too much.

She still had a few days to make up her mind, at least. It was Friday, and he'd be coming on Tuesday like usual. She hadn't seen him since his usual bi-monthly trip— something that he had apologized profusely for. Setting the time for their (it's not a date, it's not a date) outing then made sense. Midoriya had told her over and over again that he was sorry and that he hated that they had to wait so long, but it would be ridiculous of Asa to not understand. He was the number one pro hero. Duty called. Although she did admit that hearing his flustered mutterings over the phone when he looked at his packed schedule was adorable.

A contemplative hum brought Asagao out of her musings, and her eyes snapped away from looking out the window back to her client.

"Can you tell me about calla lilies?" pro hero Creati asked, the diamond ring on her finger glistening in the shop lights as she pointed at the page.

Oh right, she had forgotten to mention that her clientele had become even stranger lately.

Asa nodded. "The meaning depends on the color. Which one are you interested in?"

"Definitely the white ones," Creati said. "I've seen them in wedding magazines and always liked them."

The florist smiled knowingly. "They've definitely been very popular in recent years. White calla lilies stand for chastity, good fortune in marriage, and loyalty to your spouse. A lot of the brides I've met typically carry them alone, but they can also be paired with whatever else you like."

Creati's dark eyes scanned the page again. "I like the meaning, but I do think I would want to add something for my fiancé. He's always had a blue theme in his hero costume, and we're bringing that into the color scheme."

Asagao noted that Creati didn't say her fiancé's name aloud. The florist knew who it was, of course. Yaoyorozu-san had given her details in their first email exchange prior to this appointment. The couple was wanting to keep their event very secret, which Asa could understand. It had only occurred to her recently that being high profile pro heroes had its disadvantages, particularly in the ways of privacy.

Still, even if it was all on the down low, seeing the lovestruck smile on the bride-to-be's face in front of her warmed her heart. Hearing their story had been so sweet, and Asa was honored that she had been chosen to be apart of their marriage.

(And duh, she also knew that Midoriya had some influence in her being picked as the florist. Yaoyorozu's email had literally started with the fact that he'd recommended her.)

Asa's eyes flicked around the shop, and an idea popped into her head. "I think I've got just the thing! Do you mind me going back to get it?"

Yaoyorozu smiled politely. "Please, go right ahead."

The florist grinned back before she made her way into the greenhouse. When she entered, she picked up the sound of crying, and she frowned. Asa followed the sound to the kitchen, where she found Akari rubbing soothing circles onto Meiko's back.

"Just use your quirk as much as you need so you can calm down," Akari was saying sweetly.

Meiko let out a strangled sob, then wiped furiously at her eyes. Asagao smiled softly as she witnessed the purple glow of Meiko's quirk being activated. Poor Meiko had been an absolute mess ever since Creati walked in for her appointment. Apparently Creati was an idol to her, having saved one of her siblings who got caught in the middle of a horrible villain attack a couple years ago. Seeing the pro hero in person had simply been too overwhelming for the gentle soul.

Akari finally noticed her boss' presence, and she gave a tired smile. Asa would have to thank her later for helping Meiko. The three of them really had become somewhat like their own little family during their time here, and Asa didn't know what she would do without them.

Pointing toward the rows of flowers, Asagao mouthed, "I'm going to go over there." Akari gave her a thumbs up.

She went about her work quickly, gathering up some blue delphinium and white calla lilies into a mini bouquet. Asa tied them up in a pretty silk navy ribbon, then made her way back into the front of the shop.

Yaoyorozu was delicately sipping her tea when Asa entered, and as soon as she laid eyes on the bouquet, the pro hero stood up from the table. "Oh, it's beautiful!" she laughed, her delight evident. "What are those?"

A proud smile came onto the florist's face. She knew she'd had a good feeling about these. "Delphinium," Asagao replied. "They represent passionate love and openness of heart."

The hero's hand began to drift toward the flowers, but she pulled back at the last second. The gears in Asa's mind whirled. Just how much had Midoriya told her about Asa's quirk?

"Those would be lovely," Yaoyorozu decided. "I want those for my bouquet, and…perhaps just the blue flowers for the bridesmaids? With some greenery, too?"

The florist took her seat back at the table and began writing down notes. "I think that sounds great! You said their dresses are going to be pastel blue, right?"

"Yes, we picked them out last week," her client nodded. "There's going to be five bridesmaids."

Asagao hummed in acknowledgement, and the two women settled into a comfortable silence as she continued jotting down notes. Once she was done, Asa detached the flowers from herself and handed them over so that Yaoyorozu could give the bouquet a closer look.

"I can see what Midoriya-san was talking about," Creati commented as she studied it. "The flowers here seem brighter than any other store I looked at."

A familiar rush of warmth ran into Asa's cheeks. "Oh, did he send you pictures of the shop, too? He said he takes them sometimes when I'm in the back."

Her client's lip twitched up. "Our class from UA has a group chat. Midoriya-san always sent pictures of the bouquets after he got them. And," she added on, tone turning teasing, "he did mention you here and there."

Yup, she was probably blushing noticeably by now. "He thinks my quirk is interesting," Asa said, trying to brush it off.

"He finds everyone's quirk interesting," Yaoyorozu corrected easily. "It's not just that. It's clear to all of us that he finds you exciting. You probably don't know this, but we hardly see him anymore. Texting is the main way we keep up with him."

Asa's brows furrowed. "Really? How come?"

Yaoyorozu chuckled, "The number one pro hero doesn't get time off much, and I believe he told you what he does with what little time he does have to himself."

Asagao nodded knowingly. Taking care of his mother, of course. She would be amazed if Midoriya even had time to breathe these days.

"That's why we know he's not only interested in your quirk," the hero continued. "It's significant that Midoriya-san stops by so regularly with his busy schedule. And yes—" she held up a hand just in time to stop Asa from speaking, "he did begin coming here for his mother. But if it was for that purpose alone, he would not have asked you out."

Asa's heart skipped a beat. "How—"

"He's terrible at keeping secrets," Creati laughed. "It only took a few questions before he spilled. Where are you two going?"

The florist sighed and looked down at the table. "I don't know," she admitted. "He won't tell me."

"He can be stubborn when he wants to," her client murmured. "Do you know what you're wearing?"

Asa shifted in her seat uncomfortably. Not that Creati was making her feel strange or anything, she just didn't like having to overthink their outing any more than she already did.

"I…think so?" she replied. "My best friend helped me pick out an outfit, but I keep doubting it. It's almost like it's missing something."

The pro hero in front of her hummed. Her nails clicked on the table for a few moments before a light lit up her eyes. "Nakano-san, do you like pearls?"

Asagao's head tilted. "…yes?" At Creati's expectant look for further explanation, she added, "I mean, yes, I do, I've just never been able to afford them. I probably could if I really wanted to, but it's never been at the top of my list of priorities."

Yaoyorozu nodded. Asa watched in utter confusion as the fiancée rolled up one of her sleeves and closed her eyes. Only when a sparkle began to appear on the woman's wrist did she understand what was going on.

Within a matter of seconds, a beautiful necklace popped out, and Creati held it out toward her. Asa stared at it with wide eyes, taking in the black cord and the three stunningly large pearls on the end of it.

"I-I," Asa stammered. "It's, wow, I—"

"It's nothing," Yaoyorozu claimed with a flippant wave of her hand. "I appreciate your dedication to me and my fiancé's privacy more than you could know. Consider it a good luck charm for your date." The hero winked. "We're all rooting for you."

Feeling a little like Meiko back in the greenhouse, Asa quickly accepted the gift and turned her attention to the pricing sheet she'd been working on. "Thank you, Yaoyorozu-san. Do you want to look over the numbers?"

The rest of the appointment went as usual, and Asagao still felt extremely touched by the time Yaoyorozu left her shop. Were all of Midoriya's friends so kind? Scratch that, that wasn't nearly as important as the fact that there was apparently a group chat of pro heroes who were watching whatever was happening between her and Midoriya play out like a sitcom.

Feeling mischievous, Asa pulled out her phone.

**Asa:** Should I expect your former classmates to show up on Tuesday? I may or may not have learned that I'm a popular conversation topic.

She got a reply only five minutes later, and when she read it, she burst out laughing.

**Midoriya:** As of this moment, I am no longer recommending your shop to any of my friends in order to avoid them gossiping XD

* * *

Tuesday came around faster than Asagao expected, as did Tuesday evening. Having found out about her plans (honestly, how much longer could she really expect this to be kept secret?), both Meiko and Akari had helped her clean up the shop before scurrying out giggling ten minutes til six.

Asa fiddled with her blouse in the greenhouse bathroom. She had changed her mind on her outfit at least six times yesterday before finally, she broke down and wore the one Hana helped her pick. Overall, it looked good. The pink blouse was cute, no sleeves and little white pinstripes going down the front. And it didn't look too formal with how she had it tucked into high rise jeans. It would be fine. She would be fine. This would all be fine.

Violet eyes glanced toward the clock as she finishing securing the pearl necklace. One minute left. He should be—

The shop bell rang.

Asa's heart skipped a beat. It had stopped doing that a while ago, but now it was different. Now they were, well…

Wait, what were they again?

The florist shook her head. She didn't have time for such questions. Thus, after one last check of her appearance in the bathroom mirror, she headed toward the door.

Asagao swore she was floating when she stepped out of the back. The feeling only increased when her eyes landed on Midoriya. He was over by a new arrangement, his back to her, which gave her the chance to look over his outfit. Black jeans, a white collared shirt with tiny green polkadots and the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. Was there anything he didn't look like he just got off the runway in?

The sound of the door shutting behind her made him whirl around, and as though he hadn't seen her in a literal forever, Midoriya gave her the biggest smile she'd ever seen.

"Hi!" he greeted. "Do you know where I can find the shop owner? About your height, looks nice in pink. I'm in need of some advice!"

She couldn't hold back a snort. "That was _terrible._"

Midoriya shrugged. "I don't know what you're talking about," he said in an innocent tone. "You do look great, by the way. I think I've gotten too used to seeing you in your apron."

Asa grinned. "Well, I could put it back on if it'd make you more comfortable, but I don't think the pink and green would go well together."

The hero's eyes looked up at his hair questioningly. "I think green goes with anything, but I'm biased," he joked.

Their eyes met for a moment, and then the two shared a laugh that was a mixture between nervousness and excitement. Did he feel how weird this was, too? Not weird in a bad way, but in a way she wasn't used to. Even though the joking around felt normal, there was an edge to it that told her they were both testing the waters.

It was…actually kind of nice to see that he was also just as flustered about all of this as she was.

"So," Asa cleared her throat. "You want a recommendation this time?"

The slight shift in subject made Midoriya's shoulders relax. "You always know what's best," he told her honestly. "I started looking things up, but I figured you would do a better job."

"Well, it is literally my job," she teased, then offered, "Do you want to come with me while I pick them out?"

Midoriya nodded eagerly, and with that, the pair went back into the greenhouse.

As they passed through the door, Asa suddenly realized that she hadn't complimented him back. "You look good, too," she tried to say as casually as humanly possible.

"I did my best," he laughed from behind her. "I swear I tried five different shirts before I settled on this one."

She glanced back and gave his outfit a knowing look. "Sticking with the colors of your hero costume is a little obvious, but hey, if the shoe fits."

Midoriya smacked a hand to his face. "I was wondering why I felt better in this shirt than the other ones," he muttered comedically.

The florist snickered before she got to work. She'd been formulating what she wanted the entire time, and it would definitely be a bouquet loaded with lots of love, joy, and hope. Asa moved around the greenhouse in silence, humming occasionally, and only somewhat aware of the fact that Midoriya was following her at a leisurely pace with his hands in his pockets.

When they reached her arrangement table, she laid each specimen out and looked at him with twinkling eyes. "Ready for today's lesson?"

He grinned. "Always!"

Her hand reached for the first stem. "Red carnations, the most common flowers for mother's day. They stand for admiration." She set the carnation down and picked up its neighbor. "Yellow coreopsis, for cheerfulness." And now for the final one. "White heather, which means wishes come true, because she's in remission."

"See?" Midoriya said, prompting her to look away from the flowers and up into his eyes. The green in them sparkled more than usual. "I knew you'd get it right."

A pleasant blush was spreading across her face, and Asa settled for just smiling before she began wrapping them. She hummed a pop song as she cut the stems— the same pop song she'd had stuck in her head for over a week. Her flowers had to be sick of it by now.

A lower voice softly joined hers. It took Asa longer than she'd like to admit for her to notice it. But when she looked up, Midoriya just hummed a little louder, grinning awkwardly. She giggled and shook her head. His (slightly off-tune) voice broke off to chuckle.

Once she was done, she handed the bouquet over to Midoriya and moved to grab her purse out of the kitchen.

As she made her way back to him, Midoriya held up the flowers. "How much for these?"

Asa shrugged. "Nothing. Come on, I'm hungry!"

The hero sputtered when she walked past him into the front of the shop, and there were hurried footsteps to catch up to her. "Nakano-san, you can't be serious!" he exclaimed.

She powered off the cash register as if to show that, yes, she _was_ serious. "My flowers, my rules," she stated. Was she enjoying the absolutely flabbergasted look on his face too much? Probably. "Besides," she said, taking a step closer, "I'm just happy your mother is getting better. Am I not allowed to give her flowers if I want to?"

He held up his hands. "N-No! That's not it, it's just—"

"Great!" she cut him off, smiling widely. "Then let's go!"

Midoriya opened his mouth to say something, but wound up shaking his head. He moved to open the door for her, saying, "Fine, but I'm getting you whatever you want from the cafe, Nakano-chan."

Asa dared to wink. "Deal." And no, she wasn't going to comment on his change of honorifics, not with how giddy it made her feel.

She watched as, like he'd done it a thousand times, Midoriya flicked off the shop lights before he followed her out. Asa made quick work of locking the door, and when she turned around, she found her (not date) companion standing there with his non-bouquet-holding arm held out.

Butterflies fluttered inside her stomach. Asa reached forward to loop her arm through his, noting how his smile brightened, and—

_**CLICK**_

Both of them blinked at the obnoxious noise.

_**CLICK**_

Asa felt Midoriya tense up. His eyes suddenly turned sharp, and he scanned the street in front of them. The florist followed his gaze.

_**CLICK**_

That time she caught it.

Directly across from them on the other side of the road, not even trying to conceal their position, was a photographer.

"Nakano-chan," Midoriya said lowly, his voice clipped. "Does your shop have a back door?"

She frowned. "…yeah?"

He looked down at her upon hearing her hesitation, and his hardened demeanor softened.

Asa subtly glanced at the photographer. "I…I don't think they'd follow us, do you?" she asked.

The hero grimaced. "Only one way to find out."

The pair stepped out from under her shop's awning. Midoriya began leading her in the direction of where she knew there was a nearby shopping center. Asa's mouth opened, but she wasn't even able to enquire about their destination before another round of clicks began.

An annoyed noise came from the back of her companion's throat, and they began walking faster. They were just about to turn the corner onto another street when a barrage of camera flashes blinded them.

"Pro hero Deku! Over here!"

"Deku, who's the woman with you?"

"Is this a new sidekick?"

"Deku! Are you seeing multiple heroines at once?"

People were appearing left and right, popping out of alleyways, from behind street corners and buildings, and Midoriya immediately turned them around and started doubling back to the shop.

Asa instinctually grabbed his arm with her free hand. Her nails were digging into his skin, but she didn't realize it. All she knew was her heart was racing, and not in the usual way.

"Miss! Are you the hero Deku worked with on I-Island?"

"What's your name?"

"Don't you realize that Deku dating one of his sidekicks violates the rules of his agency?"

"Are you an escort?"

The crowd's footsteps were drawing closer. Anxiety began to fill her. What was happening? Why were they asking those sorts of things? Were they really being followed? How did they know where they were going to be? What—

"Don't listen to them."

Wide violet eyes snapped to meet serious green ones. "They can't touch you if I'm around," Midoriya murmured. "They wouldn't dare. They're only saying that stuff to get a rise out of us. If we don't respond, they don't have a story to write."

Understanding hit her like a truck. Midoriya must be used to this. And he was right— she had the best bodyguard in the world at her side. Nothing bad could actually happen.

They were almost back at the shop door now, and his eyes flicked down to her purse. She pulled out her keys in reply. He glanced back and nodded.

With Midoriya standing behind her like an impenetrable wall, Asa unlocked the shop door with shaking hands. Once it was open, he ushered her in, and she immediately locked the door from the inside.

Though they were now muffled by the glass, the shouting and flashes and clicks continued in rapid succession. The florist and the hero didn't even have to say a word, only communicating with their eyes before they hurried into the greenhouse.

As soon as the door shut behind them, Midoriya (whose arm had at some point gone around her shoulders, when did he do that?) covered his face with his hands. "I'm so sorry," he groaned. "I can't believe that just happened."

Swallowing hard, Asa shook her head. "I-It's fine, let's just," she hesitated, "Let's just go through the back door."

Midoriya's hands dropped to his side. Worried green eyes stared at her helplessly, and he took a tentative step forward. "Nakano-chan, if you don't want to go anymore, I completely—"

She shook her head again. "No, come on, we're going." He still looked put out, shoulders slumped and lips turned down. Asa made herself put on a grin. "I didn't get dressed up for nothing," she joked.

Midoriya managed a small laugh. Asa could sense he needed more convincing, though. Thus, she looped her arm through his and tugged him toward the exit.

Their escape from the shop wasn't dramatic, although Midoriya did regain that intense look in his usually kind eyes. It was strange to see him like this, but she also couldn't help but feel grateful.

Once he deemed the coast clear, her companion's shoulders relaxed. "So, how do crepes sound?"

Asa's eyes lit up. "Oh! I know where you're taking us! It's that new place down the road, right?"

"Yup," Midoriya nodded. A smile was slowly returning to his face. "My friends went a few weeks ago and said it was really—"

_**CLICK**_

The pair froze.

_**CLICK**_

"Deku! Yamashita from Hero Weekly! Do you have time for a few questions?"

The florist and the hero began speed walking away at the exact same time.

"Just a few minutes of your time, Deku!" the voice continued from behind them. "Who is the young woman with you? The last I reported, you had gone out on a date with Froppy. Is she aware of your relationship with this other woman? Are you in an open relationship? Is the rest of the hero community in on the secret? Do you believe that heroes have the right to romantic relations, or that it distracts them from their duties protecting Japan?"

That overwhelmed feeling from before was creeping back in. Sure, they were just words, but Asa couldn't pretend she didn't hear them.

"None of it's true," Midoriya told her softly. "Just keep walking."

"Is she a sidekick? Deku, how do you feel about hero agency rules on workplace romances? Or is she just a civilian? How long have you two known each other? Is she quirkless? Are you dating her as a marketing strategy for your political campaign to prove that quirkless people really aren't lesser? Do you truly believe that?"

_That_ seemed to strike a chord.

Asa registered a growl before Midoriya opened his mouth and began to turn around. "Look—"

"_**OI!**_ IDIOT WITH THE CAMERA! CUT IT OUT BEFORE I SMASH YOUR FACE IN!"

Though they didn't know it, the pair blinked in unison. Their heads whipped around. There, at the end of the alley behind her shop, was pro hero Ground Zero of all people.

Blazing red eyes flickered over to Midoriya. Asa's head tilted when the two heroes shared an understanding nod. Without hesitation, Midoriya took her hand and began to lead her away. Asa caught sight of the reporter gulping as they left. She didn't feel bad for him in the slightest.

The walk to the crepe cafe was silent for the first few minutes. To be honest, Asa felt dizzy from all that had happened in the last ten minutes. Getting swarmed by paparazzi hadn't exactly been in her plans for tonight, nor had holding Midoriya's hand. At least the latter was a nice experience.

Speaking of which, he squeezed her hand lightly to get her attention. She looked up to see that his eyes had fallen to the ground.

"Again, I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I know that was a lot. It took me a long time to get used to it, and I guess I just forgot that it might happen, and I didn't think that they would come after you, and—"

Asagao felt her heart melting as he rambled on and on, apologizing over and over again. It was sweet, obviously, but he was beating himself up for something he couldn't help. It's not like he asked for the press to invade his personal life when he became the number one pro hero.

All that being said, Asagao still didn't know what came over her when she forced them to come to a halt on the sidewalk and stared up fiercely into his eyes. "Stop apologizing," she told him. "It's fine. I probably should've expected something like that."

Midoriya gaped at her. "But—"

She held up a finger. "It's not your fault," she insisted. Asa's thumb ran over the back of his hand on its own accord. "You can't help it, so just make it up to me by having a good time, okay?"

The shock on his face would've been evident to anyone passing by. And to be fair, he had every right to be in this state. He'd only seen her fiery side once before. Midoriya probably didn't know she had this part of her, and that the last time hadn't been a random rant.

Asagao took a tiny step closer. Violet eyes silently begged him to put the previous events aside. When he still hesitated, she whispered, "Please?"

It seemed that was all he needed to crack. Midoriya swallowed, then literally shook it off and smiled brightly. "Right. Okay."

She beamed at him. The two started back on their route to the cafe.

"So what are you in the mood for?" he asked conversationally.

"Mmm," she considered it. "Strawberries. And blueberries. Basically as much fruit as I can get. And cream, too!"

The hero at her side chuckled. "They make them to order, so get as much as you like," he said. "I know your quirk probably needs it. Do you know why it works like that, by the way?"

Asagao shrugged. "I have no idea. Quirks that have to be refueled are annoying, though."

"I'm sure they must be," Midoriya sympathized. "Iida-kun— I mean, Ingenium— he's always drinking orange juice. The dentists tell him it's really bad for his teeth, but it's the only way he can refuel! I wonder if—"

Asa watched Midoriya ramble on with amused eyes. He had started waving his hands around as he talked, taking her hand along for the ride. Speaking of which, somehow her tiny fingers fit perfectly in the spaces between his. Also, his hand was warm. Scarred, too— she could feel the ridges of damaged skin running across his palm.

She tightened her grip on his hand ever so slightly. Midoriya paused in his observations, looking down and startling. "Oh! Sorry, I didn't realize—"

Asa laughed and held on even firmer. "I don't mind, Midoriya-kun."

At first, the hero blinked at her change in honorifics. But the smile that formed a moment later was more than worth all the nonsense they'd just been through.

* * *

**And of course they couldn't go on a date like normal people. Please leave a review!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello, my sweets! I know I keep saying this, but I really can't believe how much love this fic is getting! Thank you!**

**Important note before we get started: I am changing the update day for this story to Sundays. College just started back up for me, so Wednesdays aren't going to work anymore (I'm looking at you, exams). So the next update will be in a week and a half! Enjoy!**

* * *

_"Age?"_

_"Twenty-two."_

_"Huh, I totally thought you were my age. You're very mature, with your own business and everything!"_

_"Yes, how I long for those two extra years of wisdom you have, Midoriya-kun."_

_"T-That's not what I meant! I— oh stop laughing!"_

* * *

Asagao had to keep herself from giggling out loud as she skipped down the sidewalk to work. If there was anything she'd learned from the night before, it was that Midoriya was incredibly easy to fluster. A light pink hue had stayed on his face almost the entire night— though honestly, she was pretty sure she'd been the same way.

* * *

_The florist swallowed a bite of her crepes and cleared her throat. "So…I should probably confess something."_

_"Oh?" the hero blinked. "What's that?"_

_Her eyes darted away from his. They were just too intense to look at during this moment. "I…" she hesitated. "I'm a major Deku otaku."_

_Violet eyes dared to peek back to see his reaction, and she almost sighed aloud when she saw a humored smile on his face._

_"I guess I should confess that I'm a Nakano otaku, then," Midoriya joked. "I keep obsessively writing notes about her in my hero journal. I've almost run out of space."_

_Asa burst out laughing, covering her blushing face with her hands. "Ugh, I'm just glad I finally said it," she giggled._

_There was a light kick under the table. "I am, too," her date chuckled._

_Grinning widely, Asagao tucked back into her crepes. She was about to take a bite, when she paused, fork hanging mid-air. "I don't think of you that way anymore, by the way," she added. "That changed a while ago."_

_Midoriya's eyes twinkled. "Does that mean I have to give up being a Nakano otaku, too? I really don't want to."_

* * *

Asa literally twirled as she turned the street corner. Actually, was she even walking? It felt more like floating.

Whatever it was, she knew she was the happiest she'd been in a long time.

Her pastel pink shop was on the horizon now, and yet again, her mind was taken back to their conversation from the previous night.

* * *

_"So how did you get started with your business?" Midoriya asked as he dabbed some cream off the side of his mouth with a napkin._

_Asa flipped her fork in her fingers as she thought. "It sounds sort of weird, but it kind of just happened. When we discovered my quirk, my mom gave me a part of our garden to experiment with," she told him. "Everyone in the neighborhood knew about it before too long, so selling my flowers was only natural. In high school I started getting even more requests when there were formals, and at that point I was making enough money that I figured I'd see if I could make it work."_

_The hero gaped at her. "Wow," he breathed. "That's so cool! You were an entrepreneur from the beginning!"_

_Asagao flushed, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "I wouldn't be where I was without my parents. They helped fund the beginning of the flower shop," she explained. "I only recently finished paying them back."_

_Midoriya smiled gently. "I bet that was a nice feeling."_

_"It was," she grinned back. "And what about you? I can imagine little Midoriya-kun rescuing people at eight years old," she teased._

_The air at the table changed. Her date shifted uncomfortably in his seat, and she realized her error the second before he said, "I, ah, well, my quirk is a bit of a long story."_

_Asa wanted to slap herself. Why had she asked that? Everyone knew the details of his quirk were kept secret. It was just how some heroes preferred things. She should've known better. Did she seem prying now? And to think that things had been going so well (or at least she thought they were)._

_She took in a deep breath. "Midoriya-kun, I'm so sorry, I—"_

_"No, no!" he cut her off, waving his hands hastily. "Please, don't apologize, Nakano-chan. I asked you the question, and you had every right to ask it back. I just…" the hero paused to consider his words. "There are very few people who know about the true nature of my quirk. I keep it that way for safety reasons."_

_The florist nodded understandingly. "Of course, of course. I hope I didn't come off as pushy."_

_His eyes flashed with amusement. "You? Pushy?" he laughed. "You did hear those reporters, didn't you?"_

_Okay, that made her giggle. Seemingly satisfied with her response, Midoriya continued. "I hope you're okay with not knowing for now," he said. Suddenly, his face turned red, and his eyes darted down to the table. "I…I have hopes that I will be able to tell you all about it one day."_

_A warm tingly feeling spread through Asa. She tapped his foot with hers under the table. When he looked up, she grinned. "I look forward to it. But only when you want to. No rush."_

_The smile he gave her lit up the room._

* * *

As she approached, she could see that the shop lights were already on. Meiko and Akari seemed to be discussing something over the counter, and Asa beamed.

'A perfect evening, and a perfect morning,' Asa thought. 'I'm so lucky to have such wonderful employees. They didn't even have to be here this early!'

The shop bell rang above her cheerily as she walked in and greeted, "Morning, girls!"

Instead of the happy hello's she was expecting, Asa was met with anxiety filled eyes. Akari grabbed her phone off the counter and stuffed it in her pocket. Meiko did the same.

The florist came to halt. "Is everything okay?" she asked slowly.

Akari and Meiko shared a look. Why did Asagao's stomach feel like it was sinking? Was there some sort of bad news she'd missed? Hold on…neither of them were due to be here for at least another hour for their shifts. What was going on?

Meiko spoke first, her voice taking that comforting tone that always meant she was preparing for the worst. "You might want to sit down."

"I'll go get a chair," Akari blurted.

The college girl scurried into the back. Asa's eyes followed her, then looked to Meiko for an answer.

The gentle woman took her phone back out and waved her hand to come forward. The brief walk to the counter felt like it took ages. Asagao wished it had taken longer when she finally got close enough to read the screen.

_**HERO WEEKLY: DEKU'S SECRET LOVER, JEALOUS GROUND ZERO'S EX?**_

**A new bombshell in the pro hero world of Japan has been revealed! As seen multiple times in the past two months (see pictures below), Deku was caught with none other than who we believe to be a simple flower shop owner. Though she's rather bland looking, she certainly seems to have made her rounds in the hero circles before! While the forbidden couple was sneaking out of her shop, they were approached by none other than Ground Zero! Could she be the illusive ex-girlfriend Ground Zero dumped last year? Or better yet, is she trying to weasel her way into becoming a sidekick at Deku's agency? With an unknown quirk (or perhaps no quirk at all), it's hard to say, but this reporter promises to stay on top of the case! Follow us on Twitter for live updates!**

Midoriya's bright smile stared back at her from the numerous pictures of him walking away from her shop. Each outfit, each bouquet— they were all from the very beginning. As if that wasn't enough, at the very bottom was a final picture of her and Deku gazing into each other's eyes on that rainy night he told her about his mother.

Asagao fell back into the chair right as Akari put it behind her. A cool numbness settled in. There was the feeling of Meiko's quirk, too, as the familiar purple glow moved to wrap around her.

"I'll text Hana-san."

"Good idea. Tell her to come ASAP. What about the shop?"

"I'll check the calendar. Maybe we could switch some appointments around and—"

Asa didn't register anything her employees said. She was vaguely aware of them scurrying around. Was that the sound of the door locking? Probably smart. If they'd staked out the location before, then who knew what would happen now.

Panic replaced the hollow feeling in her chest. Violet eyes darted toward the windows. She was in plain sight. What if people came to the shop? It would be easy to figure out where she was— all the pictures featured her shop's name prominently.

The cheerful expressions on Deku's face were haunting her. He hadn't known. Every time he left, he'd looked so happy. He didn't know it wasn't private. He'd always wanted it to be a secret. Keeping his mother's illness quiet had been his biggest priority. And now his face was plastered all over every social media website known to man.

Meiko's forced smile came into her field of vision. "Hey, Na-chan," she said sweetly. "Let's get you in the back, okay? I think your flowers will cheer you up. We'll handle everything up front."

Asa nodded dazedly. The walk into the greenhouse was made possible purely by muscle memory. She dropped into the chair at her arrangement table. Then it all clicked.

"We're all over the internet," she realized in a tiny whisper. "We were being watched from day one. There was never anything private about it at all."

A sorrowful moan rose up from the rows and rows of flowers before her. With nothing else to do, Asagao closed her eyes and put her hand to her heart.

It wasn't often she had to do this. At the beginning of learning how to control her quirk, this depth of connection had been required almost constantly. Now, the dark void was an escape when things were difficult.

Violet eyes stared out at the hundreds of flowers surrounding her. Each one had its head bent toward her in a silent apology. Their roots were dug deep into the ground, then came out right at her feet and wound up to connect into her heart. She could feel them pulsating, one with her own life force, and she stroked the glowing vines that thrust out of her chest.

"Thank you," she sighed.

Her flowers hummed back, a sweet little melody that she recognized as the one she'd been singing all week. Asa laughed. Maybe she should stay for a while longer. That would be—

_**DING**_

The florist's eyes flashed open, taking her out of her quirk's secret world. Oh, right. She hadn't even taken off her purse.

Figuring it was Hana replying to Akari's SOS, Asa answered the call without looking at the screen.

"I'm on my way," a voice that she'd heard only last night said immediately. "I'm so so sorry, and I know you hate me apologizing so much, but I can't help it."

There was a pause before Midoriya let out a tired sigh. "I'll come in the back way— I'm wearing a hoodie so people won't recognize me. I'm bringing a friend, as well. She'll make sure no one bothers you."

"Okay," Asa replied. She wished her voice didn't sound so weak.

She could imagine the pain in his eyes as he repeated, "I'm _so_ sorry. I'll see you soon."

He hung up a second later, and she slumped back in her chair. And now, she would wait.

It wasn't too long before he got there. She half wondered if he had used his quirk for super speed. Asagao's heart skipped a beat when she heard the polite knock at the door, something she hated. It wasn't a happy feeling like it usually was.

When she opened the door, a flood of mixed emotions crashed over her. For as much comfort his presence brought, his presence was also a distinct reminder of why he was there in the first place. All she wanted to do was bury her face in his chest and hope that it all went away, but she was frozen. What if this was the end? What if he came here to tell her that it'd be best if they didn't see each other again? That he was just stopping by to apologize, and then walk out of her life like he'd never been there in the first place?

But then something happened. Midoriya leapt forward, arms outstretched— and pulled back just before he touched her. Asa gave him a wry smile. At least now she knew he was having the exact same thoughts she was.

The silence was deafening, so Asa asked, "I thought you said you were bringing a friend?"

"I did," Midoriya nodded. "She's out front. Invisibility quirk. She'll make sure everything's okay."

Asagao took in a shaky breath. The greenhouse fell quiet again. He was staring at her helplessly, almost a perfect replica of the previous night, and she couldn't take it. Thus, she started pacing.

She was on lap four when he swallowed. "Look, I really am sor—"

"Don't," Asa cut him off. "It's not your fault." How many times would she have to repeat that? "You can't help it."

Violet eyes glanced up from the ground to see that Midoriya's expression was twisted in frustration. It was strange to see such a look on his usually bright face. Almost as strange as it had been last night.

"It is in a way, though," he insisted. She paused, mouth open to speak, but he took a step forward. "I think I've figured out what to do…I just want to know if you're okay with it."

There was a brief staring match before she begrudgingly nodded. Midoriya ran a hand through his hair, clearly stressed. "So the way I see it, the only way to get rid of the rumors is to tell the truth," he said. "If we stay quiet—"

"Then people will think the article was correct," Asa murmured.

"Exactly," he agreed. The hero inched closer again. She peered up into his eyes, barely registering his hand gently taking hers as she allowed herself to get lost in the comforting sea of green.

After a moment of silence, Midoriya cleared his throat. "There's a trusted news source that I've done interviews with before. They don't edit anything, they don't make stuff up, and it's live on television, so they can't change what I say," he told her. "I can arrange to do it as soon as tonight. I know they won't turn me down. Then all I have to do is set the story straight about what we are."

Despite the strangeness of the situation, a fuzzy warmth began to spread through Asa. "And what…what are we?" she questioned with genuine curiosity.

The smile Midoriya put on only served to accent the growing blush on his cheeks. "I'm me, and you're the woman I want to get to know better. They don't need to know any more than that."

And just like that, it was as though they were taken back several weeks to that rainy night under the awning. They were standing close, and there was a far too premature urge to lean in.

Both hastily took a step back.

Midoriya coughed. "I, uh, better get going."

Asa nodded quickly. "Yeah, sounds good."

Their eyes, which had obviously been avoiding each other, met. The hero and the florist laughed awkwardly. This really was a mess, wasn't it?

After only the slightest bit of hesitation, Asa reached forward to lace her fingers loosely through his. "So…are we…?"

A soft smile formed on Midoriya's lips. "I've been looking at my calendar for another date night, if that answers your question."

Asa giggled, "It does."

The hero squeezed her hand. "I gotta get going," he sighed. "I'll let you know when the interview is on. And I'm sending someone else to keep an eye on the shop for you— Hagakure-san has to go to work soon, but she insisted on coming when she heard what happened."

Asagao connected the dots. She should've been able to figure out that it was Invisibility Girl when Midoriya described the quirk. Again, were any of his friends not complete sweethearts?

"Thank you," she said with as much sincerity as she could muster.

Midoriya took a step forward, but seemed to reconsider it. He settled for squeezing her hand once more, and with one final (probably too long) stare, the hero let go and slipped through the back door.

* * *

Seeing Midoriya had helped a little, but Asa still remained in a weird haze for the next hour. She had finally noticed Invisible Girl across the street— though it was incredibly difficult. The only giveaway was a passerby tripping over air. Asa had invited her in, thus reopening the shop with the assurance that there would be someone capable to intervene if need be.

Asa was wandering around perking up a few display bouquets when there was a ding. She glanced over her shoulder at the floating cell phone near the counter.

"Ah, Midoriya-san says my replacement will be here soon!" Invisible Girl informed her. "Are you okay with me scooting out to work?"

The florist flicked her hands. "Of course! Thank you so much for coming."

"Anything for Deku's girl," the heroine teased, most likely with a wink.

Asa watched as the door opened and closed seemingly all by itself, then let out a large sigh. It was barely past ten, and today had already been one of the most stressful days she'd ever had at the shop. Well, maybe the last minute bride with fifteen bridesmaids last spring had been close.

The sunflowers in her hand gave her a little nudge, and she smiled down at them. Midoriya was handling things. Hopefully this would all blow over in a—

The front door of her shop slammed open. Asa's head whipped up, eyes wide in shock.

"Oi, invisible chick!" Ground Zero barked as he strutted in. "You can leave now!"

Asa thanked her lucky stars that Akari and Meiko were organizing a new batch of wrapping paper deliveries in the back. Fiery eyes searched the store for mere seconds before they landed on her.

She'd never know how she found the words to say, "She just left."

The hero grunted. "Good. Her agency has dumb rules on being late."

One of Asa's eyebrows lifted. That sounded strangely…caring? Maybe he wasn't as rough as he always seemed in the news stories.

He clearly wasn't one for exchanging pleasantries, though. With all the bravado of an angered rhino, Ground Zero marched over to one of her cases filled with flowers. He stationed himself leaning against it, arms crossed. Yeah, those massive grenade gauntlets would probably make any paparazzi think twice about walking in here.

"Tch, can't believe I had to come in on my day off," he muttered.

Asa frowned. On his day off? Surely they could find someone else. Pro heroes worked hard. He probably needed a break. Maybe she should text Midoriya?

Before she could pull out her phone, however, Ground Zero's eyes were piercing into hers again. "No one's been bothering you so far, right?" he questioned. She managed a nod, and he snorted, "Good. Idiot press doesn't know when to leave people alone. I don't know what they're doing dragging someone like you into this crap."

A grin slipped onto her face. So she _was_ right. He did have a weird way of showing that he cared.

"You better make all this mess worth it," the hero continued. "Deku won't shut up about you. It's really starting to piss me off."

Her face flushed. "Right."

Ground Zero gave her a dry look like he expected something better.

"I mean, I will," Asa amended. "I didn't think any of this would happen in the first place, so my goal is to ignore it all and hope it doesn't happen again."

He tsked. "Don't get your hopes up."

Well that was blunt. At least the faint curve to his lips told her he approved of her answer.

* * *

Hana placed a bowl of cut up watermelon in front of her on the coffee table. "Snacks!"

Asa immediately began shoveling the cubes of fruit into her mouth. "I'm so anxious," she whined. "Why did it have to be primetime?"

"Because he's a primetime hero, and this is primetime gossip," Hana shrugged.

The florist groaned. "But couldn't it have been earlier in the day? I swear they talked about the weather for an hour— oh it's starting!" she gasped.

The pair of friends huddled closer together on Asa's couch. After Hana had arrived at the store after work, Ground Zero had escorted the two of them back to Asa's apartment. A gruff "don't draw any attention to yourself for a while" was all the goodbye they got.

Asagao nervously bit her nails as the news program intro played. What was Midoriya planning to tell them? He had texted her a few questions, making sure she was okay with him saying certain things. But she still had no idea what his plan was. And what if the reporter asked a question he couldn't answer?

A close up shot of a female reporter smiling broadly came onto the screen, and Asa's heart rate skyrocketed.

_"Good evening, everyone!" the woman greeted. "As I'm sure you've heard, we have a very special guest tonight, so let's get straight into it!"_

The camera panned out to show Midoriya. He sat in the chair looking as at ease as she'd ever seen him, dressed in a button up shirt and nice slacks. When he waved cheerily at the camera, Asa grabbed Hana's hand in a death grip.

_"So, how has your day been, pro hero Deku?" the reporter joked._

_Midoriya laughed, "A little hectic, but that's most days in a hero's life."_

_The lady bobbed her head understandingly. "Of course, of course. Today was different though, wasn't it?"_

_"Yes, it was," the hero agreed. "Thank you so much for this interview, by the way. I know it was last minute."_

_"Anything for you! Now, let's get to the point. An article published today by Hero Weekly claimed several things about you and the woman you were spotted with. Care to comment?"_

_Straightening up in his seat some, Midoriya nodded. "Yes, I would. There were several false things written about myself and the woman you referred to. Listing everything incorrect, though, would take too much time, so I want to state what is true."_

Hana's nails were digging into Asa's arm, but she didn't notice. She wasn't even sure if she was breathing.

_When the reporter nodded, a gentle smile came onto the hero's face. "Her name is Nakano Asagao. She's the owner of Nakano's Flowers, which I should add, have the best flowers in all of Tokyo. I've been going there recently to buy flowers for special occasions, and we got along well. Last night was our first date."_

Warmth filled Asa's chest.

_"I see!" the woman replied. "And what about the rumors that she's pro hero Ground Zero's ex?"_

_"Entirely false," Midoriya chuckled. "Kacchan was just on patrol. He actually helped us get away from the paparazzi. It was pretty startling for us both."_

_"I'm so sorry you two had to go through that on your first date," the reporter sympathized._

_He nodded, "As am I. I think that because heroes are so often seen in the spotlight, people don't view us as, well, people. But we're just like everyone else, trying new things, making mistakes, figuring stuff out. Everyone should have a right to privacy, hero or not."_

_The reporter hummed. "So, do you have any idea as to if this romance will continue?" she asked with a twinkle in her eyes._

_A genuine laugh burst out of Midoriya's mouth. "If this whole experience didn't scare her off, then I hope so! I don't think I'll find someone like her again."_

The best friends collapsed back onto the couch at the same time. Asa hadn't even realized they were literally on the edge of their seats. The reporter was asking a few more prying questions, all of which Midoriya brushed off easily, and the florist finally relaxed.

"Well that went well," Hana commented as the outro to a commercial break played.

"Uhuh," Asagao sighed. "I'm just glad it's over."

Her best friend stood up from the couch and stretched. "Me too. More snacks? I think I saw some celery sticks in the fridge."

Asa leaned her head back and closed her eyes. "You know me well."

While Hana was rattling around in the fridge, a familiar ding reached Asa's ears. She knew who it was before she looked at the screen.

**Midoriya:** Was the interview okay? I tried to stick with things that I thought wouldn't give too much away!

Asagao hit the call button without another thought. It only rang once before he picked up.

"Hi," he laughed. "I'm still backstage, but I hope—"

"Thank you," Asa breathed. "Thank you so much."

There was a pause, and she swore she could hear him smiling over the phone. "You're more than welcome, Nakano-chan," Midoriya murmured. "I think this will all blow over soon. Can I…is it okay if I check on you at the shop tomorrow? I-I don't want to distract you or—"

"Yes, please," she giggled. "Distract as much as you want."

A warm chuckle sounded over the phone. "Mission accepted. I'll see you tomorrow, then."

Asa smiled softly. "See you tomorrow. Goodnight."

"Sweet dreams, Nakano-chan."

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed! And to all of you who were asking for a warning when the angst starts...nah lol. Just be prepared for it to hit like a freight train. Please leave a review!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Hello, my disciples! Thank you for being understanding in me moving my update day. And as always, thank you for the incredible support!**

**A quick note for those who are interested: I have two little references I snuck into the chapter. Some of you will pick up on them immediately, I'm sure. Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

To say that business picked up after the tabloid scandal was, well...even the word understatement was an understatement.

'I really need to hire more employees,' Asa thought as she looked out at the packed shop. 'I've never had this many people in here, and on an August afternoon, of all things.'

She couldn't ignore the increase in customers— it was obvious her shop was receiving more attention due to the interview. She couldn't complain, really, but it still felt weird.

This new normal she'd stumbled into had only been occurring for about two weeks now. It included more frequent visits from Midoriya, which was nice. At first Asa had felt guilty about how much he came to see her (always through the back door, of course). It took her a week to consider that perhaps he wasn't doing it just for her, but also for himself. Maybe it eased his own worries to check up on her.

And besides, it wasn't like she was going to turn him away. It was wonderful to see him so often! Whether it was before work, during a lunch break, or a brief stop by before a patrol, having Midoriya around made her, well, happy. Funny how simple that really was.

Though Asa still wondered regularly what on earth was happening between them. They were both interested in each other— that was obvious. But what _were_ they? Midoriya had made it quite clear (both in person and on national tv) that he hoped to continue…whatever this was. Did it even need a label? She knew he was trying to move around some shifts to make room for another date night. Apparently it was a hellish process, but one he promised would be worth it.

The florist's mind drifted to their conversation on the phone last night. Apparently Midoriya had been requested to assist in a new arson investigation in Kyoto. As willing as he was to go, he'd also been more than honest about how frustrated he was to have his work schedule thrown off yet again.

* * *

_"I'm leaving Thursday, but I swear we'll do something before that," he told her._

_Asa shook her head. "It's fine, Midoriya-kun, really. You know I understand. Duty calls."_

_There was a loud sigh. "It does, but hero work sometimes gets in the way of having a life."_

_"Mmm," she hummed, settling a little more into her couch. "I can imagine."_

_"I'll make it up to you, I promise," Midoriya said. She could picture the guilt in his green eyes brightening as he added, "I planned something you'll really like!"_

_She laughed, "Oh? And how are you so sure I'll like it?"_

_"Educated guess," he chuckled. "And a lot of hope."_

* * *

A customer appeared in front of her, and Asagao hopped back into business mode. She scanned over the bouquet in their hands. "Alright, that will be fifty-two ninety-four," she said. "And who assisted you today?"

The elderly woman pointed over toward Akari. "The girl with the pink hair. She was very helpful!"

"I sure hope so— I'm not paying her for nothing," the florist joked. The transaction took place as usual, though it was lacking her send off ceremony for the flowers.

That was another part of the new normal. With the sudden influx of customers, the girls had agreed it would be easiest if Asa gave all the flowers her final push of energy at the beginning of the day. Meiko and Akari would take over the arranging, and Asagao would man the front counter. It was a little strange, given how used Asa was to constantly interacting with her flowers.

'All the more reason to hire extra staff,' she realized as she handed the credit card back. Asa waved goodbye to the customer, then took note of how her employees were doing. Both were smiling as they chatted with the people in the shop. Asa grinned. She really did get lucky with those two, so hopefully she'd get lucky again.

Her mind caught up in trying to remember the interview process she'd done, the florist didn't notice the jingle of the shop bell. What she did notice, however, was a voice.

_"Oh my, what a lovely little shop!"_

Her eyes fell on a man that was distinctly not Japanese. The British accent was a dead giveaway, as was everything else about him. His clothes— a cream trench coat, tartan bowtie, collared shirt, and tidy slacks— were clearly of European fashion. It wasn't often that tourists stopped into her shop, but now Asagao found herself rummaging through her brain for what little English she remembered from high school.

Violet eyes flicked back to her employees. Yup, they were still busy. Looks like it's up to her.

Trying to not show her stress, Asa came around the counter with a big smile. The man was over by one of her hanging plants. He eyed it with appreciation, blue eyes twinkling.

He spotted her just as she said, _"Hello, how are you?"_

The man grinned broadly. _"Oh wonderful! You speak English!"_

_"I speak a little,"_ the shop owner replied. Frankly, she was already about to run out of words. Maybe she could just point at things?

_"Ah, I see,"_ he nodded. "I won't stress you unnecessarily, then."

Asagao blinked at his sudden perfect Japanese. "Thank you," she replied, dipping her head in gratitude. "What can I help you with today?"

His cherub like face lit up. "A few things, actually!"

The young woman grinned. Why did he remind her of Midoriya in a way? Not exactly, but sort of. They both radiated the same constant sunshine energy, almost as though they had halos over their heads.

"I was hoping to get a bouquet to liven up my hotel room while I'm here," the man said, his hands fiddling with the buttons on his brown waistcoat. "And I would also like a sushi recommendation. Locals always know the best spots!"

Asa nodded, "I'd be happy to help with you both, _mister_…?"

"Mr. Fell!" he filled in.

"Fell-san," she repeated. Interesting last name. Then again, what did she know about British names? "Did you have a particular kind of bouquet in mind?"

"Dear me, I haven't the slightest idea," he mumbled. "My companion would know better, but I want it to be a surprise."

The shopkeeper smiled. "Well then, how about I show you around, and you can see what catches your eye?" she suggested. "I can tell you about a few good sushi restaurants in the area as we go."

With a delighted clap and a nod, Mr. Fell gestured for Asa to lead the way.

The rest of their conversation went as conversations usually did with customers, with the exception of Mr. Fell rambling endlessly about the sights he'd seen during his vacation. From what little she picked up on about his job, it sounded like it was a well deserved one.

Finally, as though a lightbulb went off over his head, the Englishman puttered over to one of her favorites— a vase filled to the brim with white and red roses. "These are extraordinary!" he declared with a wave of his hand. "I presume you have them available?"

"Yes, I can get those together right away if that's what you want," Asa replied.

Mr. Fell's head bobbed excitedly. "Yes! Yes, I think those will be perfect. Thank you!"

After a polite smile, Asagao wandered back into the greenhouse. Sure, she could've asked one of the girls to do it, but this bouquet was calling her. When she made her way to the red roses, they beamed up at her knowingly.

"Yeah, yeah," she giggled. "You guys have been on my case lately."

The red roses only increased their teasing, as did the white roses when she came upon them. Asa wanted to sigh, but she couldn't. She was too happy with this whatever it was with Midoriya to feel annoyed at her flowers. They knew she was falling hard, and she couldn't even deny it.

Asa popped out of the greenhouse minutes later to find Mr. Fell right where she'd left him.

"Oh they're splendid!" he gasped. "I've never seen such beautiful roses! What's your secret?"

She laughed. "Thank you. It's just my quirk, but some people do call me a miracle worker," she winked.

An amused glint came to the man's eyes. "I can see why."

When Mr. Fell skipped to the door after paying, he called out, "Thank you so very much, dear! I do hope lovely things come your way today!"

Grinning, Asa waved cheerfully. What an interesting person. At least he was nice— it was always fun to interact with pleasant customers, even if they were a bit quirky.

As the bell above the shop door jingled to announce Mr. Fell's departure, Asa's phone let out a similar sound.

She pulled it out of her pocket and glanced down at the screen. A text from Midoriya! Maybe he was going to stop by?

Oh, if only that had been the text she read once she unlocked her phone.

Instead, she was greeted with a selfie of him and his mother, who was waving happily from a wheelchair.

**Midoriya:** We'll be visiting the shop tomorrow night together! Mom's been so excited to see it (and meet you haha). Is at closing okay?

Violet eyes went wide.

* * *

The next day, Asa was flitting around her shop like a crazy person. The pearls around her neck were rattling with each frenzied movement, and as for her neat blue and white pinstripe blouse, well, all she could do was hope it didn't get any soil smudges on it. She was meeting Midoriya's mother, after all and oh gosh this was really happening wasn't it she was meeting the mother of her (boy…friend?) something person and nope this wasn't stressful at _all_.

Asagao tugged at the necklace anxiously. 'Please be a good luck charm,' she begged. 'I really want this to go well.'

As if on cue, a familiar purple glow began to weave around her. The florist's shoulders relaxed, and a smiling Meiko came into view.

"We just finished up in the back," she reported in that incredibly soothing tone she always had.

Akari popped up beside Asa and gave her a little side-hug. "I even did an extra sweep just for you!"

However grateful she was, Asagao still gave a small frown. "You two really didn't have to—"

"It's part of our usual closing duties anyways," Akari interrupted with an eye roll. "And we want things to go well tonight just as much as you do!"

_"Almost_ as much as you do," Meiko amended, chuckling.

The florist laughed nervously. "Thanks, you guys, really. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Akari fixed a stray piece of Asa's hair and hummed, "Probably be more of a mess than you already are, Asa-san!"

Meiko fixed the college girl with a stern look, but Asagao just snorted and waved her employee's hands away from her head.

The pair left a few minutes later, shouting wishes of good luck and leaving Asa alone with her thoughts. It was half an hour until her usual closing time at six, but she'd decided it would be best to close early today. According to Midoriya, his mother was weak and had just been cleared for trips outside of the hospital. The last thing Asa wanted was for her to come into a crowded shop and be overwhelmed (not to mention the fact that her health condition was still a secret).

'If I wind up with lettuce in my teeth, I'm gonna die,' she thought as she stabbed at her salad with a fork. She'd pulled up a stool to sit at the counter (can you imagine if she was hiding in the back when Midoriya's mother came in?) and had her laptop in front of her, the screen filled with countless spreadsheets she could somewhat understand. This would be a good distraction— stuff from her accountant always took a lot of focus. The forms and files would totally take her mind off the impending meeting. Totally. Completely.

The incessant tapping of her foot said otherwise, but Asa wasn't about to acknowledge it.

Her violet eyes wandered over the numbers, but they didn't exactly take the information in. What was his mother like? Probably nice. But what if she wasn't? But come on, this is the woman that raised Midoriya, the number one pro hero, the man who was known for his inhuman amounts of kindness, so she was probably similar, right? Oh man but what if she isn't? And what if Asa didn't dress up enough? What should she say? How formal should she be? Maybe she should act casual? But what if that was disrespectful?

Asagao suddenly realized she'd been re-reading the same column of digits for six minutes and groaned. She sensed the flowers lift their heads curiously at her display. They'd been doing that a lot lately, and not without reason.

"I'm sorry, everyone," the florist sighed out loud. "I'm all mixed up, but I'll be fine. Don't worry about me."

All of her flowers hummed back soothingly, with the exception of a vase of sunflowers nearby that began shouting wordless cheers of encouragement. Asa grinned. Sunflowers were Midoriya's flowers. And if they were acting this way, then he would probably be doing the same. He wouldn't want her nervous, but excited!

Now that she thought about it, she wondered if he felt a little nervous, too. He was introducing her to his mother, and that wasn't exactly a casual thing to do with someone you (are dating? are seeing? are interested in? what are they?) had one (very interesting) date with.

For some reason, it struck Asagao that she was seeing Midoriya soon, and a warmth began to fill her. Funny how she'd been so caught up in the fact that she was also meeting his mother all day. She'd forgotten that he would be there by her side the entire time. And even if they had been seeing each other more frequently lately…she missed him.

A silly feeling that made her want to giggle and blush all at once burst inside of her chest. Was it weird that she missed him and had only seen him two days ago? Was that normal? Maybe she shouldn't care! He was bright and bubbly and cheerful, and every second she spent with him made her happy. Why should it matter that it had only been two days?

Renewed with excitement to see her whatever-they-were-person soon, Asa tucked back into her salad and began munching away. It wouldn't do any good to be low on her quirk when they arrived! Maybe his mother would want a bouquet— she already had a few flowers in mind that would be nice!

The rest of her wait passed by smoothly, especially since her mind could finally concentrate on the forms from her accountant. Asagao had finished her salad five minutes ago when the shop bell jingled, and when she looked up, her heart squeezed.

"It's just a little bump right here," Midoriya murmured as her guided the wheelchair through the entrance, his foot holding the door back.

His mother clasped her hands together and gasped, "Oh, it's so beautiful!"

The pro hero laughed. "Better than the pictures, right?"

Wow, they were just alike. His mother's green eyes were bright as she looked around, even though her face was pale. She pointed at the vintage styled lights up above with a frail hand, whispering something to herself that Asa couldn't quite catch.

As the florist stood up and came around the counter, his mother said, "I can handle it on my own, now. Thank you, Izuku."

He frowned. "Are you sure, mom? I don't mind—"

His mother waved a hand. "I can do it, I can do it."

Asagao was smiling when she stopped in front of the pair. In an instant, Midoriya's eyes snapped up, and he grinned broadly. His mother smiled, too, and wow they have the exact same smile, that was so adorable.

"Welcome to my shop, Midoriya-san," Asa greeted with a dip of her head. She saw Midoriya's grin widen out of the corner of her eyes at her formalities.

"I'm so happy to finally be able to come!" the older woman replied. "And please, call me Inko."

Asa tried to conceal her surprise. Her eyes flicked up to Midoriya, and he winked. The florist held back a laugh. It suddenly occurred to her that Inko probably already knew plenty about her, given Midoriya's inability to keep his mouth shut about anything.

Turning her attention back to Inko, Asa replied, "Then you can call me whatever you want, Inko-san. I'm Nakano Asagao."

Inko's smile turned softer, into the kind of look only a mother could give. "A beautiful name, Asagao-chan."

"Thank you," Asa laughed awkwardly. This woman was almost even more kind than her son (who'd have thought that was possible?), and it was sort of overwhelming. Behind her, Midoriya was practically radiating sunlight with how much he was beaming.

Before any silence could fall, the pro hero swooped in and asked, "What do you want to look at, mom?"

Inko glanced around a bit. "Well…everything!" she decided. "I want the full tour!"

Midoriya snickered. "Sounds like a plan." Those dazzling green eyes lifted to meet hers, and he batted his eyelashes. "Can she have the full tour, dear tour guide?"

Some day Asa would tell him how absolutely, magnificently insufferable he was for so openly flirting with her like that in front of his mother, but for now, she would settle for smiling and saying, "Of course! Follow me."

Looking around the front of the shop didn't take too long. It mostly consisted of Inko pushing herself around to look at her displays, asking questions, and Asa answering them. As predicted, Inko was drawn to the sunflowers, as they were to her. When the florist informed the woman of this, both she and her son were delighted.

It was when they went into the greenhouse that things shifted. Asagao had honestly been so focused on Inko that Midoriya had faded from her field of vision. In the greenhouse, though, there wasn't space between the rows of flowers for all of them to walk together.

So here she was, following after Inko as she slowly made her way through the flowers, with Midoriya right at her side. The (couple?) two young adults let Inko take her time and hung back to make sure she didn't feel pressured to go faster. Midoriya had told her to pick out whatever flowers she liked for a bouquet. Neither of them wanted her to be rushed.

However, it was quiet.

Inko would occasionally murmur something sweet to the flowers ("oh, you're a lovely one, aren't you?"). But besides that and the sound of the air conditioning unit, the greenhouse was silent.

It wasn't awkward, exactly. More like they didn't know how to act or what to say around someone else— probably because they usually flirted with each other endlessly, and Asa was only just realizing that.

Their hands brushed against each other for the third time, and Asa's cheeks warmed. Why did she feel like a teenager right now? How was she supposed to behave around his mother? Wasn't there supposed to be some sort of…I don't know, respectfulness or something?

But when their hands bumped for the fourth time, she felt like she'd had enough. Violet eyes flicked over to meet green, and the second they did, she felt a warm pinkie finger link with hers.

Midoriya's face was tinged pink, and he was grinning stupidly at her. She smiled back, fully aware that she probably looked just as ridiculous. They really were a mess, weren't they?

"So…" he trailed off softly. Asa raised an eyebrow, and his expression turned teasing. "How come I can't call you whatever I want?" he questioned.

Asa bit her lip to hold in a giggle. "Right of passage," she shot back with a shrug.

"Mmm," he hummed thoughtfully. "How do I know when I've earned the right, though?"

"You just ask."

"True, but you haven't asked about using my given name, either."

"Maybe I don't want to."

"Oh? Why not?"

"Don't want your ego getting too big."

Midoriya put on a faux-wounded expression, and Asa had to cover her mouth so she could laugh. He quickly dropped the facade to chuckle with her. _This_ was right. This was how they usually operated. This was that warmth and that sunshine and that happiness she adored.

Both moved to fully intertwine their fingers at the same time. Midoriya squeezed her hand lightly. She squeezed back.

They continued on in a much more comfortable silence for a while. They were almost on the last row when Midoriya whispered, "Thank you so much."

Asa looked up into his eyes to find them shining down at her with unshed tears. "She's been looking forward to this for months," he continued. "I honestly think it was a big motivation for her to pull through— the pictures I sent of the shop weren't enough. She had to see it for herself."

The florist's thumb smoothed across the back of his hand comfortingly. "I'm glad," she replied. "I know it's been hard."

The hero took in a deep breath. "Yeah, yeah it has been." Something in his eyes shifted, and Midoriya brought them to a gentle halt. Asa suddenly felt overwhelmed by the sheer amount of emotion in his eyes. "If…if it wasn't for you, I don't—"

"Izuku?"

The pair's heads snapped away from each other to look at Inko. The look on her face was knowing, but she didn't comment on catching them in a would-have-been moment.

"I think I've picked out which flowers I like, but there's just so many to choose from," Inko lamented. "I like almost all of them!"

Asa let out a laugh, "Well then, just tell me which ones you want, and I'll put them together!"

Two pairs of bright green eyes lit up at the exact same time. Asagao held in a relieved sigh. This was honestly going so much better than she could've hoped.

Fifteen minutes later, Asa exited the greenhouse with an absolutely massive bouquet in her hands. She'd honestly lost track of just how many different kinds of flowers were in the arrangement, but it was definitely one of the most colorful pieces she'd ever done.

Midoriya and Inko were settled at her client table drinking lavender tea when she walked in. The hero's face was twisted up oddly, but before Asa could ask why, Inko was waving her over and pushing a phone into her view.

"This was Izuku when he was three!" the woman squealed. "I couldn't get him to take off his All Might onesie for anything! It was always so dirty and—"

_"Mom,"_ Midoriya groaned. Asa snickered to herself when the hero covered his red face with his hands.

"Oh sweetie, it's nothing to be ashamed of," Inko tsked.

Asa nodded in agreement, "Yeah, Midoriya-kun, nothing to be ashamed of at all." He looked up and met her teasing tone with a scowl that honestly looked more like a pout. Asa replied by handing him the bouquet, sitting down next to his mother, and saying, "Please, do show me more."

By the time they were walking out of the shop thirty minutes later, Asa's stomach hurt from laughing so much and Midoriya's face was so red she probably could have burned herself by touching it.

It had starting raining, thus Asagao gladly took umbrella duty to help get Inko out to the car. The woman held her massive bouquet in her lap, smiling happily. Midoriya assisted in getting his mother from the wheelchair to the passenger seat, but before Asa could accompany him to put the wheelchair away in the trunk, her hand was caught.

Asagao froze and turned to see Inko holding her hand gently with her own. "Thank you for letting me come today, Asagao-chan," she said. "I know you had to stay open late for me. I appreciate it so much and hope to see you again very very soon!"

A maternal warmth spread from where their hands were touching up into Asa's heart, and she smiled softly. "It was wonderful meeting you," the florist replied earnestly. "And you're welcome back any time."

Inko patted her hand. "I look forward to it! The doctors have told me that I should be able to live at home again soon. Would you like to come over for dinner some time?"

Asagao was only vaguely aware that Midoriya had returned to her side as she stuttered, "Y-Yes! Of course! I would love to!"

"Good," Inko smiled brightly. "I've been looking up salad recipes ever since Izuku told me about your quirk. Have you ever tried strawberry vinaigrette? I think I—"

"Okay mom, Nakano-chan has to go home, too," Midoriya cut in, laughing awkwardly. Asa held back an amused snort. What a smooth save.

With another thank you, the two women waved goodbye. Asagao started snickering the moment the car door was shut.

"I've never been so embarrassed in my entire life," Midoriya admitted as they walked around the back of the car. "I can't believe she pulled out my baby pictures."

Asa adjusted her grip on the umbrella to make sure they were both covered. "Aww don't be," she laughed. "I think little Midoriya-kun was cute!"

He tossed her a curious look, stopping at the trunk. "And now?" he prompted. "What about current Midoriya?"

The young woman pretended to think it over. "Mmmm, you're alright."

The hero raised an eyebrow. "Just alright?"

Her eyes twinkled. "Maybe a bit more than just alright."

What was it about rain that always made moments like this happen? Though instead of being under her shop awning like last time, now they were under her umbrella. A much smaller space. Close enough so she could pick up hints of his cologne, the woodsy scent mixing with the smell of the rain, and Asa knew her mind wasn't making up what was happening. She most definitely felt a tug between them.

"I guess you're pretty alright, too," Midoriya murmured.

She didn't realize their heads had tilted, or that their eyes were half-lidded. All she felt was an insatiable desire to no longer have any space between them— the kind of desire that made everything else in the world melt away. What were they? Did she even care at this point? No, no she really didn't. They were something, something she knew she wanted, and right now in particular she wanted to know how it would feel to have his lips pressed against her own.

Asa registered Midoriya leaning in for a split second before he suddenly jumped away.

"I-I, um," he stammered. She blinked at him. He glanced away. "C-Can I see you again? Sometime soon? For that thing I mentioned a couple nights ago? I want to— I mean, you might be busy, and I, uh, actually have that case in Kyoto— I'll be there for the next week, but after that, maybe we could—?"

"Yes."

Midoriya looked so hilariously relieved that Asagao couldn't help but giggle. He laughed, too, and both of them just stared at each other in wonder of what in the world was going on between them. There's something there, obviously, but it didn't have a label. And maybe that was fine for now.

Before they could get caught in another moment, Midoriya cleared his throat. "I, ah, I should get going," he said. "Mom has to go back to the hospital. They're still keeping her overnight to make sure everything's okay."

Asa nodded understandingly. "Of course— I'm glad she could come. I'm sure it took a lot out of her."

He grinned. "Yeah, but she's a fighter."

"Raised one, too," the florist pointed out.

Midoriya ran a hand through his hair, laughing, "Yeah, guess she did."

Asa smiled up at him softly. What was it about everything about him that made her fall harder every day?

A strong hand took ahold of her own ever so delicately, and he squeezed. "Goodnight, Nakano-chan."

"Goodnight," she whispered back.

There was a pause where he hesitated. A question was flashing through his eyes, but she couldn't figure it out. Regretfully, he let go and began to turn away—

Only to come back seconds later.

A strangely determined look was on his face when he ducked back under the umbrella. Asa opened her mouth to ask why. She'd only gotten out the first syllable when he bent down and pressed his lips to her cheek.

Asagao froze. The kiss lasted mere seconds, but it felt like hours. His cologne was richer now. There was a tinge of peppermint in the air. His lips were soft. One of his hands rested tenderly on the side of her face. The raindrops on his hair tickled her cheek.

She wasn't sure if she was dreaming or not.

When his lips left her skin and he pulled back, Midoriya's face was flushed. "See you soon, Nakano-chan," he breathed.

Her heart stuttered. "Y-You too."

Asa honestly wasn't sure she remembered walking home that night.

* * *

**If you didn't pick up on it, I referenced the Kyoto Animation studio arson attack (truly horrible, which is why Midoriya is on the case!) and Aziraphale from Good Omens (my new obsession).**

**Hope you enjoyed, and please leave a review!**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hello my lovelies, we passed 100 reviews! I know I say it every time, but your support (and fanart this week!) always means so much to me! Enjoy!**

* * *

After the kiss that Asagao still wasn't quite sure happened, there was one goodbye phone call before Midoriya was off to Kyoto.

* * *

_"I, ah," the hero laughed forcefully. "Is it okay for me to admit that I'll miss you? Is that weird?"_

_Asa's heart skipped a beat, and that all too familiar feeling of warm tingles began to spread through her body. "I'm gonna miss you too, if that helps," she replied._

_There was a sigh of relief. "Yeah, I— yes, that does help," Midoriya said. "It's only for a week though, right?"_

_She smiled a bit. It sounded like he was trying to convince himself more than her._

_"Yeah, it's only for a week."_

_"It'll pass quickly!" he stated resolutely. "And you have Kacchan's number in case anyone bothers you!"_

_"I think he's hoping I won't have to use it," Asa giggled._

_Midoriya chuckled. "Yeah, Todokori-kun would've been better if he wasn't going with me."_

_The florist shook her head. "Everything's going to be fine, Midoriya-kun. And I'm sure you two are going to really help them with the investigation. You can stop by the shop as soon as you get back, if you want."_

_She imagined his eyes lighting up as he asked, "And restock on lavender tea, please? I just ran out."_

_Asa rolled her eyes. "You could've told me last night! I would've given you more."_

_"Well, I uh…" he coughed. "I might have been a bit distracted."_

_The sensation of his lips against her cheek rushed back to her, and Asa felt her heart melting. "Yeah."_

_A brief silence held them captive. She felt so silly. He was only leaving for a week, but they were acting like he was going off to war back in the olden days._

_Midoriya broke the quiet by sighing softly. "I need to pack," he murmured. "And I've already kept you up late talking."_

_Though she glanced at the clock on her nightstand and saw that it was indeed past midnight, Asa replied, "I don't mind."_

_"Okay," he laughed. Midoriya then cleared his throat, his voice slipping into a more serious tone. "I'm going to miss you, Nakano-chan. Sleep well, alright? I'll see you soon."_

* * *

The third week of August passed by in blissful (although admittedly boring) silence for the florist. According to Midoriya, no news was good news when it came to these sorts of assignments. He wasn't allowed to contact anyone on the job— something they both lamented— but Asa understood. Guess it was just part of being the number one pro hero working on a private investigation.

Asa paid more attention to the news than she usually would during that week, of course. It was hard not to, mainly because her usual source of welcomed distraction was gone. And work kept her busy, too, but she still wanted to be aware if something went wrong.

But come on, who was she kidding? She was…something with the _number one pro hero_. Midoriya was practically undefeated. Everyone knew his quirk's indomitable strength. Asagao knew she had no cause to worry.

Thus, she went about her life having no reason to think otherwise. Until pro hero Shoto burst into her shop five days into the mission.

There was sometimes a lull around early afternoon, and Asa always took advantage of it to dust pollen off the shop shelves. When the shop door slammed open, Asa jumped and whirled around.

Frost and ash scattered on the floorboards with each step, and Shoto's eyes were wide. There was a rip on one sleeve, a blood stain on his chest, and perhaps most obvious of all— no Midoriya.

Asagao felt her heart stop.

The sound of his entrance must have alerted Meiko, who popped out of the greenhouse with a concerned look. "What was— are you alright?" she cried, rushing forward to the pro hero.

He waved a placating hand. "I'm fine. It wasn't me."

Asa still hadn't moved. She dreaded hearing the next words out of his mouth, even though she already knew what they were.

Pained eyes switched from Meiko to her. "It was Midoriya-kun."

Something inside her shattered.

Shoto moved forward to brace her just in case. A cool hand settled on her left shoulder, then a warm one on her right. Mismatched eyes stared into hers. He took on his typical calm and controlled hero demeanor.

"It was a cheap bullet shot from behind," he said as gently as he could. "I was there when it happened. He was airlifted to the hero hospital here. He told me to come tell you."

The reality of it all began to sink in. Her vision became blurred with tears as she tried to process what he told her. It didn't make any sense. Wasn't he indestructible? Wasn't she supposed to be able to not worry about him? Why would someone connected to an arson case shoot him? And how was he— wait…

Asa blinked up at the hero. "He told you to—?"

"Come tell you, yes," Shoto nodded. "It was the last thing he said before they took him back to the operating room. He's probably under by now."

A shiver ran down her spine. "Where did it…where did he get hit?"

The hero's eyes flicked down to the ground. "His right lung."

A hand radiating with peace settled on Asa's back, and she turned to see Meiko gazing at her with sympathy. "Come on, I think you need to sit down."

The florist didn't fight Meiko as she guided her to the table. Shoto followed suit, sitting down across from her and staring at her in a way that she knew he was trying to figure out what to say next.

"I'll go get you some tea," Meiko decided once the two were settled. "Any for you, Shoto-san?"

He shook his head. "No, but thank you."

Asa heard the door to the greenhouse open and close a moment later. Her mind felt like it had ground to a halt. Silence enveloped the flower shop until Meiko returned with the tea. The sound of the cup clinking down on the table's surface seemed to snap Asa out of her daze, and the first question she should've asked finally popped out.

"Can I go see him?"

Shoto let out a breath. "No." Her shoulders slumped. He continued, voice steady, "There are restrictions at the hero hospital, especially in the intensive care unit. Even once he's out, only family are allowed for the first three days."

Asa's eyes snapped up. "So…even you…?"

"Because I was at the scene, I'm given clearance to see him," he answered. "He's at the hospital where his mother is being taken care of. It's…they are very careful with who they let in to ensure privacy from the press. She was a special exception."

The florist nodded slowly. She reached out and took the tea cup from the table, only just now noticing that her hands were trembling. At Shoto's concerned glance, she forced them to still.

The hero stared her down as she took a sip. The calming effects of Meiko's quirk began to flow through her, and Asa felt the gears of her mind begin to turn again.

Asa took in a deep breath, then let it out. "So what should I do for now?"

"I'll keep you updated," Shoto promised. "I'm heading back to the hospital as soon as I'm done here."

An idea popped into the florist's head. "Is there…would it be okay if I sent something with you for him?" she asked. "Would the hospital allow it?"

A seemingly knowing look entered Shoto's eyes, and for the first time since entering her shop, the corner of his lip twitched up. "I'll make sure it's alright."

After giving him a grateful smile, Asagao got up and made her way back into the greenhouse. She was a woman on a mission as she went straight toward the red roses. Their petals reached out to her aching heart. Asa wasted no time in picking the very best dozen from the bunch.

As she wrapped the love soaked flowers in cream and gold paper, she felt tears stinging her eyes. She'd had thoughts lately about when a time would come where she would get up the courage to give him roses, but she didn't think it'd be like this. How much had that shot hurt? Would the surgeons be able to fix him? How long would recovery take?

…what if he didn't recover?

Asagao pushed the thought aside. They had the best of the best at the hero hospital— everybody knew that. _Someone_ would have a quirk that could heal him. They had to. She didn't know what she'd do if they didn't.

The young woman made sure to wipe her tears away before she stepped into the front of the shop. Meiko was sitting next to Shoto, murmuring something in her usual motherly tone as she wiped blood off of his forehead with a cloth. The look on Shoto's face told Asa he was amused at being babied by someone younger than him.

The two looked up when she entered, and Asa walked over to put the bouquet in Shoto's awaiting hands.

He stood and inclined his head. "I'll go take these right now, unless you need anything else?"

Asa shook a 'no'. "Just tell him I'll see him soon."

The hero nodded. His eyes then turned to Meiko, glancing down at the blood stained cloth in her grasp. "Thank you."

Meiko waved a dismissive hand. "Make sure you take care of yourself, too. Some of your cuts could easily get infected."

How Shoto's eyebrows just barely raised made Asa want to chuckle. Meiko's maternal instincts never stopped, not even for one of the top ranked heroes in Japan.

After Shoto left, the rest of the afternoon went by in a blur. Meiko was extra kind throughout the day, as was Akari when she came in and heard what happened. The only reason Asa knew the news was officially out was because Hiro texted her in all caps. She tried to give him as comforting of an answer she could.

A text popped up on her phone as she was closing the store.

**Unknown Number:** This is Todoroki Shoto. Midoriya-kun is out of surgery and in recovery. They were able to remove the bullet and are taking it as evidence to try to track down who it was. He's on oxygen, but the doctors say he'll recover quickly due to his quirk's regeneration rates. You should be able to visit in three days. I'm working on getting a pass for you.

Asagao's hand went to her heart, as though that somehow would soothe its ache.

**Asa:** Thank you so much for telling me all of that! I really appreciate it!

**Unknown Number:** No problem.

The florist added his number to her contacts during the walk home.

Asagao treated herself to a larger than usual salad that night. Not that her quirk really needed it, but she just felt like stuffing her face with something. She tried turning on the tv, but the news of the incident was everywhere. Eventually she settled down on her couch with a stack of bridal magazines. It had been a while since she'd bought these. Learning about the latest trends would be a good distraction.

Hours later, Asa lied wide awake in her bed staring up at the ceiling. There hadn't been any more news from Shoto— not that she'd expected it. If Midoriya was in recovery, then that was that. He was most likely sleeping, something that she should be doing, too.

She sighed aloud. If only she could stop all the wild thoughts running through her head. What was it like to be shot? How much did it hurt? Had he been scared? He hadn't been alone, and she had Shoto to thank for that, but still…she couldn't even begin to imagine what that must have been like.

Rubbing at her eyes, Asagao rolled over and put her face in her pillow. She needed to sleep. She had work tomorrow. Midoriya would want her to take care of herself.

Against her will, tears began to form in the corners of her eyes. Midoriya…why did something like this have to happen to someone so kind?

The young woman huffed and wiped the tears away with the sleeve of her nightshirt. She couldn't change what happened. She just needed to deal with what to do now that it _had_ happened.

_**DING**_

Asa would later be embarrassed by how fast she grabbed her phone, but as soon as she saw the name on the screen, she let out a relieved laugh.

She opened the text to see no words— just a simple picture of red roses on a hospital bedside table.

* * *

Even with Shoto (or Todoroki, as he'd told her he preferred to be called when off duty) as her escort, Asagao couldn't help but fiddle with her purse nervously. Being in the hero hospital was frankly intimidating. All around her were faces she'd only ever seen on tv. And she was just, well…just her.

Thankfully, another familiar face popped up as they turned onto the hall that Midoriya's room was on.

"Oh, Asagao-chan!" Inko gasped, waving excitedly from her wheelchair. "I'm so glad they let you in! Oh, I was so worried. They have the strictest rules here," she tsked.

Asa took the frail hand Inko offered and smiled. "Todoroki-san pulled some strings for me," she explained.

Inko nodded. "Good. I know you two have been texting, but Izuku wouldn't stop asking about when you could come!" The florist blushed, but the woman continued, "I think he's been driving the hospital staff crazy, but enough talk, I'll show you to his room!"

While Shoto could have easily done the job, both young adults let the mother lead the way. As they walked along, Asagao picked up the sound of boisterous chatter down the hall. It grew louder with each step.

She tossed a curious look to Shoto, who simply said, "Some of our old classmates are here."

Asa blinked. Huh, she hadn't considered that anyone else would— oh no, these were the people who literally had a group chat where they talked about her! And they were all pro heroes, too!

"They're all lovely," Inko added, seemingly reading Asa's thoughts.

Lovely might have been the wrong word.

The second they walked into the white-washed hospital room, at least a dozen sets of eyes turned to focus on her.

"It's her!" Alien Queen squealed.

Her claim started the riot.

A glistening figure popped up in front of her. "Bonjour, ma chérie!"

Before Asa could say hi, Ingenium sped forward with an outstretched hand. "Iida Tenya, an honor to meet you!"

Asagao reached out, but was spun around. "Nakano-san!" Chargebolt beamed. "It's great to see you again! Remember that girl I told you about when—"

The energetic hero was bumped to the side by a vaguely amused looking Earphone Jack. "Sorry you had to deal with my dunce. I'm Jiro Kyoka."

And again, just when Asa was about to introduce herself, a bright red ball of energy came into her field of vision.

"Wow, you're even cuter than Midoriya-kun said you were!" Red Riot laughed. "He won't shut up about how—"

Another voice piped up. "Oh, hi, it's you! I'm Uraraka Ochaco, but you can just call me—

"Nice to meet you, ribbit."

"At last she has come to join our revelry in the dark."

"Oh, Nakano-san! I've been meaning to get in touch with you about another meeting for my wedding. Maybe next week we could—"

"OI, IDIOTS! STOP CROWDING THE WOMAN!"

Asagao wished Ground Zero's yell had been heard, but it only blended into the cacophony that was gradually building louder and louder. She smiled awkwardly at the heroes, really not having any idea of how she could respond to any of them all at once.

And then, through the noise, called a soft voice she'd been longing to hear.

"Is Nakano-chan here?"

The former classmates parted as though Midoriya's question had been a command, and there he was, smiling at her weakly from the hospital bed.

"Hi," he said.

Asa didn't remember walking— just that when she sat down in a chair next to him, his tired eyes brightened. "Hi," she breathed.

A warm, scarred hand reached forward, and she took it without hesitation. Violet and green eyes gazed at each other adoringly, only breaking when his glanced toward the bouquet.

"Thank you for the flowers," he murmured.

She gave a wry grin. "It was a predictable gift, wasn't it?"

"Maybe," he chuckled, although it soon turned into a cough. Asa squeezed his hand in comfort as he worked through the fit, and when he was done, he smiled wearily. "Sorry, I—"

She shook her head. "No, no, don't apologize."

His green eyes shined with appreciation. The pair drank in each other's presence, both wondering why it felt like it'd been years since they'd last seen each other. Dopey smiles formed on their faces, their hearts finally easing now that they could be back together.

So caught up in the little world they'd created, the two had forgotten entirely that they had an audience. That is, until Todoroki let out a rather deliberate cough.

"Alright, everyone out," he said.

The former classmates groaned, but obeyed when Ground Zero barked, "Scram! You've already been here for two hours! Give them some space!"

The group began to file out of the hospital room, still chatting animately (obviously about the presumed couple they were leaving alone). Blissful quiet filled the room, but just before the door could shut, Chargebolt popped back in.

"Forgot to mention something!" he cried. "Shinsou-kun texted me to tell you he's sorry he couldn't come. He's still working on I-Island for the next, errr…month or so, I think?"

Asa watched as Midoriya put on a smile. "Thanks, Kaminari-kun. Tell him I understand, and that he can text me, if he wants."

The electric hero gave a thumbs up, and _finally_, it was just her, Midoriya, and his mother.

Asagao let out a sigh, "That was overwhelming."

"Sorry," Midoriya chuckled. "I forgot to tell them you were coming today. I thought they'd already be gone by the time you got here."

"They mean well!" Inko chirped from her wheelchair, then winked, "Just like you did by getting yourself landed in here, Izuku!"

When the pro hero rolled his eyes, Asa tilted her head. "Huh?"

Inko waved a hand. "Oh, it's been a little running joke— Izuku used to always do this and get himself landed in the hospital, only this time I think he just wanted to come so he could keep me company!"

The florist couldn't help but laugh at the joke, even if it was a little weird. Before she could respond, though, the woman began speed-wheeling herself out of the room.

"I, ah— the doctors need to see me now!" she claimed, obviously lying. "You two have fun catching up!"

The white door slammed behind her, and Asa raised an eyebrow. "Subtle."

Midoriya laughed, "It's not exactly her strong suit."

Green and violet met once again. Both young adults visibly relaxed. The hero's hand squeezed her smaller one. "So…" he trailed off, expression shifting to teasing. "Roses, hm?"

Asa blushed. "Shut up, I was worried sick about you," she groaned. "I didn't ever think I'd have to be."

His gaze softened. "Guess I'm not as invincible as everyone thinks."

More of those stupid tears she'd been fighting off lately sprung up in her eyes. Asagao was able to manage a watery smile. "Guess not."

A loud silence echoed through the room. It had been nice to think he was invincible. Being here made it oh so clear how wrong that assumption had been.

After a minute, Midoriya smoothed his thumb over the back of her hand. "Another date soon?" he asked, hope in his voice.

Asa immediately fixed him with a stern look. "Only when you're fully better."

He grinned. "I'll take that as a yes?"

She shook her head. "Yes, you idiot."

"An idiot?!" Midoriya gasped in horror. "I thought you were my biggest fan!"

The florist rolled her eyes, even though a genuine smile had crept its way onto her face. "I think we moved past that a while ago," she pointed out.

His eyes flicked down ever so briefly. She would forever swear that they'd settled on her lips. When he looked back up, Midoriya murmured, "True. Can you…" he hesitated.

"Yes?"

The hero's gaze darted to where their hands laid on the bed sheets. He moved to intertwine their fingers— something Asa happily obliged to.

Finally, he dared to meet her eyes again. "Can you call me Izuku?" he requested. Asa blinked. He was quick to add, "I've been thinking on it for a while, but I didn't want it to seem—"

"Only if you call me Asa," she stated (casually, because nope her mind didn't feel like a whirlwind of _AHHHHHHHH_ right now at all). "Or Asagao, or whatever nickname you come up with," she shrugged. "I have a bunch."

A brilliant smile broke out on the hero's face. "I like your full name. _Asagao._"

Asa ignored the shiver that ran down her spine. Now wasn't the time. Wanting some sort of way to seal the deal, though, she unlocked their fingers so she could link her pinkie with his. "Sounds like a deal, Izuku."

A laugh bubbled up out of her…something's mouth. Man, they still really needed to figure out what they were. Oh well, now wasn't the time. Not after all that had happened. She wasn't about to bring it up— Asa would rather just relax in the fact that she could see him, and that he was on his way to getting better.

Comfortable quiet settled over them. Asagao played with his fingers idly, again noting the scars that ran across his hand. What was the story behind those? She'd spotted a few on his arms whenever he wore short sleeves, too. Maybe all heroes had scars like that. Occupational hazards were clearly evident (something she should've realized before).

A thoughtful hum interrupted her thoughts before they could go down too dark of a path. "How's the shop doing?" Izuku inquired.

"Been busy, like always," Asa replied, feeling a weight lift off her shoulders. It felt nice to talk about normal things. "I started interviewing on Monday, and I think I found someone. She's really sweet— doesn't have any former experience with flowers, but seems teachable."

Green eyes shined with pride. "That's great!" he said. "I bet it'll be nice to have more help."

"Definitely," Asa agreed, then laughed, "I think Meiko-chan and Akari-chan are getting sick of me. They've been working practically full time lately."

"No, who would ever get sick of you?" Izuku asked, winking.

The florist giggled. "You're biased."

The hero put his unoccupied hand to his heart. "Who, me?"

Asagao shook her head. She could already feel a blush coming on, so she changed the subject. "Anyways, Sho— Todoroki-san mentioned something about a funny story when you two arrived in Kyoto? What was that all about?"

His expression brightened, and Izuku shifted to sitting more upright. "Well, it all started with this woman with a quirk that controls cats, and I always love cats so I went to pet one, when all of the sudden—"

And thus, the happy probably-couple laughed together as he spun his tale of being chased by at least a hundred cats down the streets of Kyoto, completely unaware of their audience peeking through the hall window.

* * *

"They are a_dor_able," Mina exclaimed, her hands clutching her heart. "Look at them, in their own little world! They're just so cute!"

"He definitely has a soft spot for her," Kirishima said.

"Oui!" Aoyama sighed dreamily.

Jirou rolled her eyes. "That's the understatement of the century."

Tokoyami bowed his head reverently, whispering, "A partner for the darkest trials of life."

"Exactly, ribbit!" Asui agreed.

Ochako nodded firmly, "They're the perfect match."

The former classmates all glanced at Midoriya's ex-girlfriend in tandem. Well then, that sealed the deal.

"Indeed," Iida hummed after a moment. "I must say I haven't seen Midoriya-kun in such high spirits in quite a while. She certainly has a positive effect on him."

"As does he on her," Momo added.

Bakugo grunted. "Tch, idiot needs to make sure he doesn't freak her out with another bullet wound. He should've been fast enough to avoid getting hit."

"Awww look everyone, Bakugo-kun cares!" Kaminari teased.

"SHUT IT, DUNCE FACE!"

Todoroki shook his head. You would think he'd be used to his rambunctious friends by now.

The solemn hero looked back through the glass. His best friend was seemingly telling Nakano a funny story, seeing as how he was waving his hand excitedly and she was laughing to the point of tears.

Mismatched eyes flicked down to where their hands laid connected on the hospital sheets. Seeing such a light in Midoriya's eyes after the past few months, well…Todoroki couldn't help but feel hope that perhaps the one who was always saving others had finally been saved himself.

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**Lol remember when I was like angst is coming? Yeah. Please leave a review! I read each and every single one!**


	11. Chapter 11

**WE'RE BACK and it's time for your weekly dose of Izuku and Asagao! Enjoy!**

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It's the first of September when an all too familiar rat-ta-tap-tap sounds on the back door of her shop.

Asagao's head popped out of the store bathroom, where she'd just finished getting changed. She couldn't exactly run to the door as fast as she wanted to in heels, but she hurried nonetheless.

When she opened the door, Asa was immediately swept up into strong arms, and she let out a laugh as she was twirled around.

"Izuku!" she giggled. "I just saw you yesterday!"

The hero was grinning broadly when he set her down. "But this is my first time seeing you out of the hospital!" he replied. Those beautiful green eyes were shining with exceptional giddiness today, and the florist held in a sigh. It was so good to see him out of that oppressively sterile hospital bed.

Asagao watched him double back to where he'd put his stuff down at the door before he'd entered. She took a moment to admire him, as always, but especially today with those black pants, white button up, and green tie. Izuku could wear a paper bag and still look great, but Asa could definitely appreciate this particular outfit a bit more than usual.

When he turned around, her something-person was holding a large plastic takeout bag. "I brought dinner," he said proudly, lifting it up to show her.

"Not your standard dinner and a show, but it'll do," Asa teased.

She caught sight of his lip poking out into a pout as she turned to lead them to the front of the store. "I didn't think we'd have time to go out somewhere before the play, but if you want to afterward, we could—"

The florist shook her head and glanced back so she could catch his hand in hers. "I'm just messing with you, Izuku." The name slipped off her tongue much easier nowadays. Asa found that she liked saying it as often as she could, if only because he usually replied using her name, as well.

Hence: "I'll figure out your sarcasm one of these days, Asagao," he replied with a long-suffering sigh.

Asa snickered. If there was one thing she'd come to find out recently, it was that Izuku could be hilariously dramatic. It was a silly side of him— one of the many sides she'd discovered in their few months of knowing each other.

Her favorite was his sweet side, though. Those moments when he was flustered, warmth in his eyes, his cheeks pink and words a little stammered even though they were filled with absolute truth and vulnerability. Even with how comfortable they'd gotten with each other, Izuku still had the tendency to get shy and embarrassed and honestly, it was so adorable that Asa half-wished that those moments would never go away.

It wasn't one of those times right now, but Asagao loved it anyways. A bright, happy feeling swept through the flower shop as they stepped into the front, their joined hands swinging between them. Izuku promptly set down the takeout bag on the table and unwrapped it to show boxes Asa was all too familiar with.

"So _that's_ why you were asking me about my favorite restaurants," she realized.

Izuku smiled as he handed her over a large salad. "Yup. You look beautiful, by the way."

Asagao subconsciously smoothed down her black dress. "Thanks, you too— as usual."

Her compliment made his grin grow, but he didn't reply (the flush on his face was all the response necessary). The two settled into a comfortable silence as they dug into their dinners, occasionally playing footies, giggling, and giving each other knowing looks.

Once their meals had been finished, they set to work clearing off the table and closing down the shop. Izuku moved slower than he typically did, but Asa didn't comment. It was miraculous that he was already out of the hospital, given the extent of the bullet wound. The police still hadn't been able to track down the shooter, and it seemed to be a mutual agreement to not dwell on that.

Violet eyes watched with unconcealed adoration as Izuku refolded her apron at the counter, apparently not happy with how he did it the first time. She told herself that he was fine now. That his breathing no longer had that horrible rattle. That he wasn't having a coughing fit every five minutes. That his face had lost that awful ashen look. He was fine. And he always would be.

Asa wished she could convince herself more of that.

She realized she must have zoned out when Izuku's worried face was looking down at her. "You okay, Asagao?"

"Oh!" Asa blinked. "Sorry, got lost in my thoughts," she laughed, rather forcefully.

He opened his mouth to speak. Something must have stopped him, however, and instead he took her hand and squeezed lightly. "Let me know if it's anything you need to talk about, okay?"

And there it was— the sudden urge to kiss him. Not necessarily on the lips (who was she kidding, that would be great). Just because she wanted to.

Ever since that rainy night under the umbrella…and, well, some before that, too, but anyways it had gotten worse recently. Not worse, but better? Ugh, it was hard to explain. It was just sometimes Izuku did these things and those things made her want to kiss him but she was way too…nervous? What was the right word for it…unsure? She knew they were both into each other, obviously. So what was holding her back?

Though the desire continued shouting at her in the back of her head, Asa settled for smiling. "I'll let you know."

Her answer seemed to satisfy the hero, and with that, the pair made their way out of her shop. She was more than happy that their hands reconnected the moment after she locked the front door.

"So, have you seen Singing in the Rain before?" Izuku asked as they walked down the sidewalk.

Asa shook her head, "Only the movie. My family wasn't really a theater family."

"Mine neither," he shrugged. "But I thought it would be a nice second date."

The florist picked up on the undercurrent of questioning in his voice. She bumped his shoulder playfully. "It's a pleasant surprise," Asa told him. "You did well."

The hero at her side gave a relieved smile. The rest of their walk to the theater passed with idle chatter about their day— apparently Izuku had stopped by his agency to just say hi, only to be promptly pushed out the door and commanded to rest. Asa told him about a wild appointment that day where two best friends who were both going to be brides argued over who could have what flowers. The story left him wiping away tears.

The New National Theater loomed on the horizon, the massive white and glass building stained orange by the setting sun. Asa admired the elegant front entrance lined by a pond, knowing full well that they wouldn't be going through it.

Asagao let Izuku lead her down an alleyway. It was dim, only a few hanging bulbs lighting up their path to a set of red metal doors. Two men in suits and sunglasses stood at the sides of them. Asa felt an odd rush of anxiety and relief upon seeing the guards.

When Izuku had told her about how they would enter the opera house, he had confessed that this was one of the rare occasions where he enjoyed the perks of being a celebrity. Right now, he was glancing down at her to make sure she was okay. She squeezed his hand as a yes.

The guards didn't hesitate to open the doors for them— the number one pro hero was pretty recognizable, after all. A woman wearing a name tag that signaled her job position at the theater greeted them as soon as they stepped inside.

"Pro hero Deku, we are honored to have you with us tonight," she said with a slight bow. "And you as well, Nakano-san."

Izuku nodded cordially. "Thank you for accommodating us."

The woman waved her hand for them to follow, saying, "It's no issue at all! Your box will be on the third tier. Two armed guards will be stationed outside the box at all times, and a privacy curtain has been put up to ensure that no one in the audience will be aware of your presence. The cast has not been informed of your being here, and extra security screens have been implemented on all guests."

All of this went in one ear and out the other in a wild blur, Asa barely having time to process it with the whirlwind way the woman rattled it off. Still, she did notice how some of the unmentioned tension between her and Izuku released. It was nice to have the assurance that they would have a mostly normal date, even if the procedures surrounding said date were definitely not normal.

Asa took in the sights as the woman lead them through a winding series of hallways. The walls around them were covered with old show posters, cast autographs, and even a few props mounted in glass cases. As they grew closer to the final door, Asagao sensed a pair of eyes on her. She turned, catching Izuku staring at her fondly. His gaze immediately darted up to the ceiling, as if to pretend he hadn't been caught. Asa covered her mouth to muffle her laugh.

Another set of guards opened the door to their box, and the florist grasped Izuku's arm with her free hand. She wasn't aware that her jaw had dropped until she heard her date's snickers.

"It's beautiful," she breathed.

And it was. A rich red velvet curtain was pulled across the expansive stage. The deep wood arch above it reached out as though to pull the audience in. Pristine white chairs filled the entire space, people milling about as they found their seats. And there, in their own private box, was gold filigree decorating each surface of glossy oak.

Izuku leaned over, putting his lips just millimeters from her ear. "I think the view to my left is better."

The florist looked up, her expression questioning, before it hit her. She rolled her eyes at his ridiculous flirtation. He let out a laugh that could've ended every bad thing in existence.

The lights began to dim moments after the two settled in their chairs. Izuku had let go of her hand in order to inspect the playbill the woman had given him. Asa tried to tell herself she didn't miss it too much.

Having never seen the musical before, Asa didn't know what to expect. It passed by pleasantly, laughter filling the room during some moments, and wistful sighs being heard during others. She applauded as loudly as she could after all of the dances— incredible feats she knew she would never be capable of.

Then came the titular song.

Izuku and Asagao stared in awe as actual water began to pour down from the stage's ceiling. Unbeknownst to them, both were traveling back to equally fond memories of their own moments in the rain.

If she was honest, Asa had gotten so wrapped up in the performance that she'd forgotten her want for Izuku's hand. But as the actor swung around the light pole, singing happily about his new found love, a strong hand came over to gently rest on hers.

The touch snapped her back to reality, and Asa's head whipped around to stare at her date. Izuku was smiling at her softly, a gentle look in his eyes. A flood of warmth ran through the florist. She laced their fingers together. A chill went down her spine when Izuku lifted their intertwined hands to press a tender kiss to her skin.

It admittedly took Asagao a while to become re-absorbed in the show. Their hands let go during intermission, but quickly reconnected when they'd returned from the bathroom. They watched the rest of the romance musical in silence, an unidentifiable tension hanging in the air between them. The feeling followed them all the way back to her place, even as they chatted excitedly about the performance.

So here they were, awkwardly stalling at her door, neither wanting to say goodbye.

Everything that night had gone so wonderfully— was it selfish to wish their time together wouldn't end? I mean, it would have to end eventually, but maybe they could act like it wouldn't for just a bit longer.

"Do you…" Asa trailed off. "I have ice cream in the freezer, if you want to—"

"Yes!"

A blush lit up his face the second Izuku blurted his answer, but Asa didn't point it out. She just got her keys, unlocked the door, and ushered him in (all the while thanking her lucky stars that she'd had the good sense to clean up a few days ago).

Somewhere in the back of her head, Asagao realized that if you'd told her four months ago that her celebrity crush, _the_ number one pro hero, would be walking into her humble apartment, she wouldn't have believed you for the world.

And yet here they were— her picking up her old watering can from the front hall and him slipping off his shoes respectfully at the door.

Asa turned to him and held up the watering can. "Do you mind if I—?"

"No, no, go right ahead!" Izuku said. "I can get the ice cream while you're at it."

Grinning, the florist lead him further into her apartment to the kitchen. There was a pleasant peace as he set to work scooping out vanilla ice cream for the both of them, her standing close by as she filled up her watering can in the sink. The odd tension was still there, but it seemed neither was willing to address it.

Whatever it was, though, it made the air crackle with electricity. Everything he did sparked something in her— whether it was tapping her on the shoulder to ask if she wanted more in her bowl or brushing his arm against hers when he put the scoop in the sink. Asa half thought she must be crazy that these things were driving her so, well…crazy. It was actually starting to get annoying.

Stepping away from him to water her plants around the apartment was actually a strange relief. At least the air no longer felt like it was constantly being sucked out of her lungs in anticipation (in anticipation for what, though?).

"Are those yours?" he inquired from the kitchen.

Asagao shook her head. "No, these aren't attached to me— I didn't plant them. I think it'd drive me up a wall to have to listen to plants talking to me all the time. The ones at the store are enough," she laughed.

Izuku hummed understandingly. "That probably gets annoying every now and then, huh?"

"On some days, definitely," she agreed. "The flowers at the shop aren't too loud when I'm here, though."

The hero's brow furrowed. "You can still hear them? Even here?"

As she finished watering the last fern, Asa nodded. "Yup. Distance makes it harder to understand them right, but I can still always sense them. It's…" she paused, trying to think of a way she could possibly describe the little mind space she shared with her flowers. When the words wouldn't come, she shrugged. "It's hard to explain."

"I think most quirks are," Izuku chuckled. "They're so personal that it's hard to figure out how to tell others what it's really like. Can I ask you something else about your quirk?"

Asa made her way back to the kitchen, smiling knowingly. "You're always dying to ask more questions, aren't you?"

Surprisingly, the hero didn't blush. A cheeky grin came onto his face as he placed her ice cream bowl in her hands. "Always. So how far have you pushed your quirk? Have you experimented with your limits or anything like that?"

The florist leaned against the counter and put a spoonful of ice cream in her mouth, trying to pull up long past memories. "I tried more as a kid when I first got my quirk," she said. "Most of it was pretty exhausting, though."

Izuku's head tilted. "What did you try?"

"Well, I can bring a flower to life without planting it—"

"What?!" the hero gasped. Asagao let out a laugh at the way he nearly dropped his ice cream bowl. "T-That's amazing!"

"And dangerous," she corrected. "Mom says I passed out whenever I tried it."

Those gorgeous green eyes were still wide with wonder. "What, but— but how'd you do it? How is that possible?"

Asa scrunched her nose in thought. "I never really figured that out. My best guess is that, when you think about it, there's always leftovers of some plant life in the ground. If I can tap into it, then I can make it come back to life. Those were always the flowers with the strongest connection to me, but they were hard to maintain."

"Because they drained your quirk so quickly?" Izuku guessed.

"Exactly," she nodded. "Once Hiro was born, he would always try to get me to do stuff, too."

A curious grin came onto his face. "Such as?"

Groaning, Asa covered her eyes with a hand. "The _stupidest_ stuff, and it almost never worked."

The hero was still looking at her expectantly, but the florist just stuffed the another bite of her ice cream into her mouth out of defiance. The stare-off continued for almost a solid minute as they finished their dessert. It only ended because Izuku put his lip out in a pout, and something about it made her crack.

Asa huffed as she took his empty bowl and put it in the sink. "Fine. He started asking me to do stuff when I was ten and he was four."

Izuku nodded for her to keep going, then grabbed the dish soap to help her clean. There really was no way out of this, was there?

"Hiro had this idea that maybe the flowers could be used as a message system," she continued. "He assigned meanings to all of the flowers based off what I told him they were like. So for almost a whole year, our house was covered in secret messages back and forth from the two of us, and it was an absolute mess. My mom hated every second of it because of how much pollen and dirt we brought in."

Izuku was chuckling now, and Asa was more than happy to splash some water in his face in retaliation. "Anyways, after that, she made sure I kept all the flowers outside."

"That's not nearly as embarrassing as I thought it'd be," he replied as he towel-dried the dishes.

"Oh, when I mean the house was covered, I mean the house was _covered_," Asa laughed. "But it made him happy, and that's all that mattered. He got me to do other tricks, too, but that's a story for another time."

There was a brief silence, and Asa looked up to see a thoughtful expression on Izuku's face. She nudged him and handed over her bowl, which he took to place in the cabinet behind her. "So…didn't you have any formal quirk training? Like at school or something?" he asked.

"Normal people don't get quirk training," she shrugged. The florist dried off her hands and turned around to look at him. "That's only for students in hero courses. We just have to figure it out on our own. Even if I'd wanted to be in a hero course, my quirk would've never be considered powerful enough, anyways."

Izuku took a step forward. "Powerful doesn't always mean destructive."

Asa's arms crossed. "But a lot of people see it that way," she replied bitterly.

There was a moment of silence. She watched as his expression slowly shifted to one of understanding.

Violet eyes darted down. "Sorry, I guess...sometimes I can't forget what all Hiro went through," she sighed. "The things that were said to him, all the bullying—" She shook her head when her voice cut off.

There was movement, and she peered up at Izuku, who had taken yet another step closer. She gazed up into those breathtaking green eyes, the ones that were filled with so much kindness right now, and felt her anger begin to melt away.

"Maybe that's why I was so impressed by someone like you," she whispered. "You have all that power, but you only use it when there's no other choice. You don't want to destroy, you want to save. And you don't care what anyone thinks, either. The rank doesn't matter to you. It's…it's so different from everyone else. You respect your quirk's abilities in a way no one does."

When had they gotten so close? Asa couldn't remember. All she knew was there was an undeniable tug, and she wasn't the only one with half-lidded eyes.

She could smell his cologne now, and her breath caught. "I-I…honestly, I didn't even like heroes that much before you," she admitted. "And then there you were, turning everything upside down."

"Asagao…" Izuku murmured.

It felt like they were moving in slow motion. A warm hand cupped her cheek, and another went to her waist. Her arms unfolded, fingers grazing just barely against his broad chest as she laid her palms flat to his shirt. Her heels lifted off the ground, and he bent down to her level.

Their heads were being drawn closer, tilting just enough, breaths intermingling in a way that made their pulses race.

He was waiting, Asa realized. Izuku was making sure this was okay with her, that she wanted it.

She answered his silent question by pressing her lips to his.

It was the sweetest kiss she could possibly ever imagine. The moment their lips touched, Midoriya let out a pleased hum. The noise sparked something in Asa, and she moved to connect her hands behind his neck.

There was hardly any movement to the kiss at all. Just still, gentle pressure that was somehow too much and not enough all at once. She could feel strong arms enveloping her, bringing her in so that barely an inch laid between them.

After a moment of blissful peace, it seemed her partner's tentativeness wore off. He massaged her lips slowly with his. Not roughly. Not demandingly. Delicately, as though he was still giving her the option to back away.

Not exactly wanting to break the moment, Asa made her intentions clear by snaking her hand up into his hair and tugging him closer. The remaining tension left his body all at once, as did the tension that had been hanging in the air.

Having her permission, Izuku deepened the kiss by slanting his lips more. Asa felt her head spin. His hold slipped around to her back, pulling her completely against him. She tightened her grip, fisting his hair with one hand and his collar with another.

Something about the way they were clinging to each other told her they'd both been wanting this for a little too long. However, she also couldn't deny that the wait was definitely worth it. Especially now that the pace was picking up.

Impatient heat was spreading through her. It only got worse when she experimentally swiped her tongue across Izuku's lip, and he groaned. The hero redoubled his pursuits, tilting his head even further and nibbling at her bottom lip.

Asagao let herself get lost in the haze that was Izuku. His woodsy cologne, how he tasted like vanilla ice cream, and the utter warmth and safety that he wrapped her in. She was so wound up in the intoxicating sensations that she didn't even notice that his hands had slipped lower, and also that he had bent down more.

The florist let out a squeak when she was suddenly lifted into the air. His steady grip on her thighs lasted only for a moment before she was set down on the counter.

Izuku unexpectedly broke away. "Sorry, I should've—"

"Shut up," she laughed, grabbing his collar and sinking back into the kiss. Asa had been able to figure out immediately what he had done the moment she noticed her neck wasn't craning so much. Was there ever a moment he wasn't considerate?

He sighed and wound his arms tightly around her waist. The hero moved to stand between her legs, but she didn't wrap them around his body. Something about it seemed too soon— and besides, the steadily growing heat between them was dying down into something sweeter, slower.

Plus, she was pretty sure they were both running out of air.

Though she most certainly didn't want to, Asa pulled back moments later. What was that sound? _Oh,_ they were both panting.

Violet and green eyes flashed open at the same time. Their faces were flushed, and they were still far too close for it to not be tempting. Yet for some reason, the pair burst out laughing.

Asa covered her face with her hands as she tried to control the outburst. Izuku was worse off— he looked like he was about to crumple to the floor.

Their giggles got under control after a minute, and when they were finally able to make eye contact again, they smiled stupidly.

"That, was, ah—" Izuku cleared his throat, and she really couldn't tell if he was breathless from the kiss or from the laughing. But oh, how beautiful it was to see the satisfied twinkle in his eyes. "That was nice."

Another round of giggles took hold of Asa, "Yeah, yeah it was."

The couple (_couple?_) stared at each other for a while, neither wanting to ruin the moment. It was actually nice to be on his eye level for once, Asagao realized. She had never noticed just how tall he was before now. Even with her on the counter, he still had a few inches on her.

And yet for as bold as he'd been in picking her up, she could see Izuku's usual flustered expression. Well, maybe the ruffled hair added to the look. And the dopey grin was pretty funny, too.

Smiling way too much, Asa straightened up to her full height. "So," she stated.

"So," he repeated, eyes lit with amusement. There was another urge to laugh. Somehow they avoided it, and Izuku leaned forward to softly press his lips against her forehead. Asa's eyes closed at the sensation. How could someone so strong be so gentle at the same time?

When he leaned back, he sighed. "I should probably get going. The show already went later than I thought it would."

Asa resisted begging him to stay for just a while longer. "Okay."

Izuku gave her a bittersweet smile. His eyes flicked downward, and when she nodded, he gave her the chastest kiss imaginable.

"Sleep well," he whispered, breath hot against her lips.

She wondered if he had as much trouble falling asleep that night as she did.

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**Me, dancing: what can I say except you're welcome? Please leave a review and don't forget to follow the fic so you know when I upload! Trust me, this story is far from over (muahahahaha).**


	12. Chapter 12

**IMPORTANT NOTE: I have upped the rating for this fanfic from K+ to T for reasons. If anything you read in this story bothers you in any way, please stop reading :) I won't be offended at all! With that being said, ON TO THE LOVEBIRDS!**

* * *

The moment they became official was nothing short of hilarious.

It was the morning after their date to the theater, or, more importantly, their first kiss. Asa was of course in a fantastic mood. Akari and Meiko kept glancing at each other knowingly because clearly _something_ had happened, but they weren't about to be nosy.

Thankfully, their curiosity was quickly satisfied by a flustered looking number one pro hero bursting into the shop right after opening.

"I knew I forgot something last night!" he exclaimed. "I didn't ask you to be girlfriend!"

Asagao's face immediately turned as bright as a traffic light, and her employees nearly fell over in a fit of laughter. When the sole other person in the shop (a random man who just wanted some flowers before he picked up his wife from the airport) waved at the hero dazedly, Izuku seemed to finally realize that _oh_ right, they weren't exactly alone.

"Uh, whoops," he laughed awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. "Probably shouldn't have…well…I, uh…" Izuku made his way over to where Asagao was hiding her face in her hands behind the counter. He bent down to try to see her eyes through her fingers. "So…? Is it a bad time? I can ask another time."

Finally, the florist shook her head and peeked up at him. "Yes, I will be, now get to work, Mr. Boyfriend— I know you have an early shift today."

The pro hero, who had softened into some sort of melted puddle of happiness, startled back to attention. "Ah! I do!"

The occupants of the shop watched with unconcealed amusement as he dashed to the door, skidded to a stop, then ran right back to plant a kiss on Asa's cheek.

"Have a nice day!" Izuku chirped.

As soon as the hero had rushed out the door, Akari and Meiko gathered around their boss, gushing and squealing all sorts of nonsense about how adorable that had just been. Asa didn't really hear any of it. She just smiled like the lovestruck idiot she was.

After that fateful morning, the news of their upgraded relationship status spread like wildfire. Summer faded into autumn in a weird mix of calls from paparazzi, press inquiries, and online rumors. The couple ignored the chaos easily— they were too wrapped up in the bliss of being together to notice.

Simply put, life was great. The flower shop was doing well, Izuku was back to his full time hero work, they made plans to have some sort of a date at least once a week (trips to local parks were her favorite, mostly because the disguise Izuku always donned was absolutely ridiculous). It was perfect.

Currently, the new couple was trying to wave goodbye to Izuku's mother, only to be pulled back into yet another hug.

"You're welcome back anytime, dear!" Inko said. "Are you sure you don't want leftovers?"

Asagao laughed as she let go, "I don't think I have enough room in my fridge for all the salads you made! Thank you, though."

Grinning broadly, Izuku caught Asa's hand in his. "I'm sure we'll be back for dinner again, soon. I'm going to walk her home— do you need me to come back to help clean up?"

"No, no, I'll be just fine," Inko insisted with a wave of her hand.

Another round of goodbyes later, Izuku and Asagao were leaving his family home snickering. "I thought she'd never let us go," Asa joked.

"She's just excited you finally came over," Izuku chuckled. "And that she can live at home, now. Wanna stop for dessert on the way?"

"Ugh, I'd love to if I wasn't so stuffed," the florist replied. She hadn't been expecting to walk into the dining room and be met with an insane array of every salad under the sun. Inko had gone a bit overboard, but no way was Asa going to deny the chance to try so many new things. And as an added bonus, her quirk was thrumming brighter under her skin than it ever had before in her entire life.

"Plus," Asa added, "Hiro's coming over. He's stuck on his literature homework."

Izuku's face screwed up. "Yeah, I remember those days. Is he still doing well overall?"

"Mostly, but I think he's getting stressed," she sighed. "I got his favorite ice cream for tonight."

The hero's strong hand squeezed her own. "You're such a good sister."

"I try," Asa laughed. "What about you? How'd your day go?"

The train ride back to her apartment was filled with tales of his hero work and the all too frequent stare from a nearby passenger. The autumn sunset glowed beautifully when they eventually arrived at her apartment, and the familiar feeling of not wanting to part filled the space between them.

Asagao reached for the door handle, groaning when she found that it was unlocked. "Hiro's already here," she grumbled. "Stupid spare key. I should've never given it to him."

She turned to look at her boyfriend. He had an annoyingly knowing twinkle in his eyes. "Looks like we'll have to settle for a quick goodbye kiss, then," he teased her.

Even though she rolled her eyes, Asa didn't hesitate to lean up on her tiptoes and capture his lips with hers. As per usual, Izuku hummed contentedly before he wrapped her tenderly in his arms. The simple kiss left them both wanting so much more, but they parted before they got carried away.

"See you soon?" her boyfriend asked.

Asa smiled. "Of course. I'll text you after Hiro's gone, okay?"

The hero brushed his lips against her forehead. "Mkay. Goodnight, Asagao."

Warm tingles went through her body. "Goodnight, Izuku."

After just one more peck, Asagao watched as her boyfriend started down the stairs of her apartment building. She sighed dreamily. She hoped she would never get over all of the lovely feelings being with him made her feel.

Hiro probably wouldn't want to hear his sister ramble about her new boyfriend, though, so Asa lightly slapped her face to snap out of it. Right. Classical Japanese literature and chocolate fudge ice cream. This would be a fun night!

Asa opened the door to her apartment and frowned. Weird, no lights were on. Maybe Hiro was taking a nap on the couch? He did that sometimes.

"Hiro?" she called softly. When she rounded the corner to the living room, there was indeed a figure on the couch.

But her little brother didn't have piercing blue eyes.

"Scream and I'll burn the whole building down, taking you and your boyfriend with it," the all too recognizable villain stated in a bored tone.

Asagao wasn't sure when her heart had stopped. That hair. Those scars. The staples. She knew who he was.

Dabi rose from the couch, hands in his pockets like he was going on a Sunday stroll. "I'm guessing you don't want that to happen?" When she shook her head, the corner of his lips turned up. "Good."

He walked closer. She wished she could move. Something about those eyes kept her rooted to the spot. When he was only one more step away, he reached for something inside his coat.

The sight of the needle tip sparkling in the light of the setting sun thrust her back into reality.

But it was already too late. Even as she scrambled back, a veiny hand grabbed her wrist. In her panic, she hardly recognized the sting of the needle being jabbed into her neck. Immediately, reality began to blur.

"That's it," he murmured. "Don't fight it. Just fall asleep."

Everything after that was muddled. A bright purple and black portal opened up. He guided her toward it. Just before she entered, she heard a door open. She looked back in time for drowsy violet eyes to meet horrified brown.

"Asa!" Hiroyasu shouted.

Were there tears in her eyes? She didn't know. With a final push, she entered the portal.

And then it all went black.

* * *

Waking up felt like swimming through a pool of dark honey. There were voices around her. She thought she knew what they were saying, but as soon as they stopped, so did her memory of their words. She blinked once. Twice. What was that light? Maybe she could just sleep again. A nap sounded nice.

"Rise and shine, sleeping beauty."

Her foggy mind wrestled with the owner of the voice. Who was that? It wasn't anyone she recognized.

"Oh wow, it really did a number on her!"

"It'll wear off within a few minutes. General anesthesia isn't meant to last forever."

"What a shame— I rather like the idea of keeping her in a coma."

"Awww no, she'll be _much_ more fun awake!"

"You wipe her memory?"

"Of course. She should have no recollection of the last few hours."

Memory. Memory…her memories. Wait, why was she here? Anesthesia…had she gotten hurt? Maybe she was at the hospital. Did Izuku know? Her sluggish brain was having a hard time putting the pieces together. The last thing she remembered…it was…Hiro? Hiro was there. In her apartment. He'd called her name. Why would he do that?

"Alright, I've waited long enough." A rough push on her shoulder roused her from her scattered thoughts. "Wake up already."

Oh, the doctor must need her. Asa forced her eyes open. If it wasn't for the drugs flowing through her veins, she was sure the face in front of her would've given her a heart attack.

Dabi smirked. "There you go. Have a nice trip to la la land?"

He left and walked over to a table. Confused violet eyes took in the room. It was dim…no, there was a light above her. But that was the only one in the room. And there were people around her. Her glazed stare passed right over them. Why was it so cold in here? And why were the walls concrete, and the floors dirty, and the air so stale?

She looked down. There was a tube connected to her arm— no, coming _out_ of her arm. It was filled with red. She followed the line to where it ended by a tank next to a girl about her age. The blonde waved a hand and smiled, showing off a pair of fangs.

"I'm so excited to actually meet you for the first time, Asa-chan!" she squeaked. "I'm Himiko Toga, and we're going to be best friends!"

"Quiet," Dabi muttered. He sauntered back over. A vial was thrust into Asagao's field of vision. She squinted her eyes at it. That…that looked like…green hair?

"We got this off your clothes," Dabi said, rattling the vial casually. "All we want to know if how Deku's quirk works. And trust me, I _really_ don't feel like making this messier than it already is."

Asa blinked owlishly. "I…I don…I dunno."

A man wearing a lab coat scoffed. "She's still not awake enough."

"That, or she's playing dumb," Dabi hummed. He gave a loud sigh before he straightened up from his position of towering over her. "See, let me explain what's going on, Nakano-san."

The sound of her name stirred something in her. The fog began to lift.

"You're very important to us. You're very important to _Deku_," the villain told her patiently in that disinterested monotone of his. "We've been wanting to get our hands on his quirk for a long time. We know it's not like other quirks, and _you_—" he said, something inexplicable lighting up his eyes, "you are going to tell us what we need."

The florist's brows scrunched together. Her tongue felt heavy from the anesthesia as she mumbled, "I don't…he nev'r told me. Anything. 's secret."

The atmosphere in the room shifted. Asa didn't notice how Dabi's jaw clenched. She was still too busy trying to sort through the question of why she was here.

"Nothing?" Dabi hissed.

A man leaning against the far wall growled. "She's gotta be lying."

"'m not," Asa said. "'zuku didn't wanna tell."

Asagao only vaguely understood what happened next. The man charged forward, something black in his hands, and she stared dazedly at the barrel of a gun before it was slapped out of the way.

"We need her, you idiot!"

"She's worth nothing!"

"I _told_ you, she's not awake enough for interrogation!"

"Lemme at her! I bet I can get her to talk!"

"You should've let me shoot her when we had the chance—"

"Oh, like that wouldn't be obvious if Deku and his girlfriend got shot back to back!"

"We would've covered it up!"

"They would've figured it out!"

"Tsk, tsk, tsk," the blonde girl tutted. Her burning yellow eyes turned to Asa, almost sympathetic. "Boys are so stupid, aren't they? Never knowing who to kill. I, for one, am glad we kept you around, Asa-chan! You've made things so much more fun!"

Asagao opened her mouth to respond, but was cut off by a burst of blue flames erupting in the middle of the room. Wide violet eyes took in the scene in front of her, and _finally_, her brain seemed to catch up to what was going on.

"You follow my commands, Caliber." Dabi's voice had dropped lower, darker. The entire room was silent, all except for the crackle of smoldering fire in his hands. "We have a deal. If you want to go off and be a loose cannon, be my guest. But you know I'll find you, one way or another."

The tension was thick. Asa eyed the man's grip. He looked like he was itching to pull the trigger.

After a few agonizing seconds, he scoffed. "Whatever. My part of the job is done." All eyes were on him as he holstered the gun and stalked out.

Dabi turned to her, giving a smile that sent a chill down Asa's spine. "Can't have our prize getting shot, too, now can we?" he joked.

Asa blinked. "Too…what…what do you mean by _too?_"

A black eyebrow raised. "Come on now, you seem like a smart woman. You really think Deku got shot on accident?" When she tilted her head, he chuckled. "It takes a lot for anyone to get even a scratch on him."

The blonde piped up. "Caliber's quirk is that his bullets never miss! Maybe I should steal it some time just for fun," she sighed, face flushing in excitement.

Turquoise eyes rolled. "We knew about you before the press did," he continued. The smile on his damaged face made it feel like he was thoroughly enjoying taunting Asa. "It was obvious he wasn't just a customer, but we had to be sure. The shooting was our little test. And if it killed him, well," Dabi shrugged. "None of us would have had any issues with that, either."

Asagao processed the words slowly as the villain strolled away from her. When he swiped the dropped vial from the floor, everything hit her like a train. Her hands had just started trembling when he made his way back to her.

"Now—" Dabi bent down to her eye level, and she felt a shiver run through her. If his burns had been horrifying on a tv screen, then they were absolutely disgusting in person. Asa wanted to close her eyes to avoid the cracking purple skin, but she couldn't. She was frozen stock still, unable to think anything other than 'get me out of here, please please _please_ let there be a way out of this nightmare.'

"You can behave, and I'll make sure you get our best cell," he drawled, breath hitting her face. "All you have to do is tell me everything you know about your boyfriend's quirk."

"I-I don't know anything," Asagao stammered. "He— he didn't tell me. A-And even if he did, I wouldn't tell you."

The lazy smile on Dabi's face twisted into a snarl. His fingers twitched, and Asa's heart jolted. She could only imagine what it felt like to be burned by his fire.

It seemed that the villain was attempting to restrain himself, though. He turned away, the vial with Izuku's hair clenched in his fist. "Take her away. Maybe she'll feel like talking after some time to think through her options."

The blonde girl— Toga, she'd called herself?— saluted. "You got it, boss!" She skipped up to Asa. The florist bit her lip to hold back a whimper when Toga unexpectedly ripped the IV out of her arm. Blood immediately began to drip down Asa's skin.

"Don't worry," Toga giggled, "It'll stop bleeding eventually!" Toga took Asa by the hand and yanked her off of the makeshift hospital bed she'd been laying on. When the florist stumbled, the other girl slipped her arm through hers. "Silly, can't have you falling! You might hurt your head! And that would be _hor_rible."

From first glance, the way the two women were walking side by side made it look like they were close friends. If you took the time to watch them longer, however, you'd notice the vice-like hold Toga had on Asa's arm and the fearful way in which the florist's violet eyes flicked around the dank and dirty halls she was being lead down.

"You really are a lucky one, Asa-chan," Toga sighed, acting like they'd been gossiping at a girl's night out this entire time. "I chased after Deku-kun for _so **long**_. He's not an easy guy to nail down!"

When Asa's mouth opened to reply (even though she had no idea what she was going to say), Toga's grip tightened painfully. The florist let out a gasp.

"Ohhhhh, I know, the trials of love," Toga said with an understanding tone. "Isn't it amazing what love does to you? Makes you want to be with them, be _like_ them, _be_ them. It's never enough!"

A dark cell guarded by a wall of rough metal poles was in front of them now. Though Asagao had never considered herself claustrophobic, she could feel it creeping in. She only briefly considered breaking away, but what would she do next? She was nothing next to a villain, let alone a whole team of them.

Toga pouted, "I hate having to lock up my new bestie like this. I'd _love_ to hear every detail about what you and Deku-kun get up to." And then, without warning, she pushed Asa full force into the cell. Asagao let out a cry when her shoulder hit the concrete floor.

"But," Toga slammed the iron door shut, "It's not very _friendly_ of you to steal my Deku-kun, so I guess now we're even!"

Despite the pain and panic flowing through her, Asa grit her teeth. "I'm not stealing him from—"

The blonde shook her head, "Ah, ah, ah! Don't speak without permission!"

Asagao's hands fisted without her knowledge. She watched as Toga crouched down, acidic eyes burning into hers.

"I lost my chance with Deku-kun a long time ago," Toga whispered. Her eyes flicked down sadly. "And now you've come along, and you're going to help me get him back."

Violet eyes hardened. "Not happening."

"Hmm," Toga hummed. The blonde stood up to her full height again, dusting herself off. "I think boss-man was right— you _do_ need some time to think. "

"Not changing my mind." Asa wished she could shut up.

Suddenly, Toga burst out laughing, as though Asagao had just told the funniest joke in the entire history of the world. Something about it made Asa tense up. It wasn't a happy laugh. It was sour, and _cruel_, and far too convinced that it was right.

When she was finished, Toga wiped away a tear. "You really are silly," she giggled, "thinking you're going to stop me from getting what I want."

"I—"

"You poor, poor thing, I can't imagine what's going on inside that pretty little head of yours right now," Toga lamented. "What's it like, telling yourself you actually deserve someone like him, hm?"

And just like that, all of the bravado Asagao had managed to muster up disappeared like a puff of smoke in the wind.

"I mean really, a little flower girl like yourself?" the villain continued. "Sure you're cute, but there's plenty of that out there. He probably just latched onto you because of the issues with his mommy."

The florist gasped, "How did you—?"

"Besides—"

Asa would never be able to fully describe what happened next. One moment she was talking to Toga. The next, she was gazing wide-eyed at a younger Izuku.

"—how could he love someone with a weak quirk like yours?"

The young woman blinked, ice running through her veins. His voice. That wasn't— it was— no, it couldn't be! But how? She recognized him from documentaries and old recordings of his first sports festival, and those eyes still had that same green glow but—

"Yeah, I know the effect isn't really that great," Izuku sighed. "The last time I got Deku-kun's blood was aaaaages ago. With your help, I might get a fresh batch!"

Asa felt sick to her stomach. The smile was the same— no, no it wasn't. It was twisted, morphed into something she didn't recognize. But those _eyes_. She couldn't look away from them.

The younger Izuku wiggled his fingers teasingly. "Bye-bye for now!"

Despite knowing it had to be some kind of illusion, panic settled in as she watched him walk away. And when the door at the end of the hallway creaked shut, she was left alone. Utterly alone. Trapped in a cell. No way out.

A cold hand grasped her heart. No, no, _no_, how could this have happened? How had she wound up in all of this? What if they came back? How could she convince them she really didn't know anything? What if she never got out? Or worse, what if they realized she was telling the truth and let that man pull the trigger? The only reason she was alive now was because Dabi (she shuddered) thought she had information they needed. So what happened when they realized she was useless?

_"It's one of those quirks that kinda seems useless at first, but starting this business is really the best thing I could've ever asked for."_

_"I don't think it's useless at all! Every quirk is good for something, and it's awesome that you're using it like this! I'm sure you get to make so many people happy with your flowers, and that's really something special."_

The memory of their first meeting snapped her back to reality. She might be useless to the villains, but not to Izuku. _Never_ to Izuku. And her quirk wasn't useless, either.

'Think, Asa, _think_,' she told herself. 'Think back to what happened…you were alone. Izuku had already left, so he probably doesn't know— wait, Hiro!'

_"So how far have you pushed your quirk? Have you experimented with your limits or anything like that?"_

_"I tried more as a kid when I first got my quirk. Most of it was pretty exhausting, though."_

_"What did you try?"_

_"Well, I can bring a flower to life without planting it—"_

_"What?! T-That's amazing!"_

Asagao swallowed hard. She hadn't tried something that like in years.

_"Hiro had this idea that maybe the flowers could be used as a message system. He assigned meanings to all of the flowers based off what I told him they were like. So for almost a whole year, our house was covered in secret messages back and forth from the two of us, and it was an absolute mess. My mom hated every second of it because of how much pollen and dirt we brought in."_

Their code game. Surely Hiro hadn't forgotten that— it'd been, what, twelve years? But they joked about it all the time. He _had_ to remember it.

Asa's quirk began thrumming to life under her skin as she realized what she had to do. If she— no, _when_ she got out of here, she'd have to thank Inko for fueling her up so much. It wasn't like the villains cared about her quirk levels.

The florist took in a deep breath. It was time to push her quirk further than ever before, to go beyond.

Thus, she closed her eyes.

Asagao found herself in her quirk's mind field, the familiar inky black settling her nerves. Her flowers swayed gently at her feet by the hundreds. The connections were still strong. That meant she couldn't be far from the shop.

The florist swallowed hard. Here goes nothing.

Asa focused on her quirk's energy reserves. As expected, they were still high from dinner— how long had it been since then? No, stop it, can't think about that right now.

The green glow of her quirk began to shine under her skin, veins lighting up as she concentrated. It would take a lot to birth a flower from the beginning. Anxiety clawed at her heart, but she forced it aside. She didn't have a choice. This was the only way out. She had to take it.

The power reached further. A new field of vision appeared— dirt and roots and minerals and atoms under the Tokyo street above her. So she was in some sort of basement? Whatever, it didn't matter.

She willed her quirk's enhanced sensing capabilities to search. There had to be something, an old seed she could latch onto. But she could feel her powers draining by the second, and gasping, she was thrown out of the organic matter and back into her mind field.

Tears stung her eyes. No, no, _no_ she _had_ to be able to send out a signal! This wasn't a game with her brother anymore, it was life or death.

Suddenly, an idea popped into her head. Asa's lip trembled. She had only ever done it once on accident…would it even work?

Violet eyes fell down to the vines rooted in her chest. Dainty fingers skimmed along them lovingly. Asa shifted her touch, wrapping her hands around the tangled mass of green. Her vision blurred with more tears, but she grit her teeth.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

And then she violently ripped the vines out.

She cried out in pain, collapsing to the floor. When she was finally able to open her eyes again, she held in a sob. All the flowers, the ones who had trusted her so fully with their lives, were gone. The oh so comforting bonds of the flowers latched onto her heart were replaced with an empty, uncaring void.

But it had worked. She felt the energy that had been going into them flowing back to her.

Asagao forced herself back into the ground above. Her quirk was stronger now, faster in its hunt. And finally, she came upon a seed.

Her quirk had never been meant for creation. It didn't work like that. But right she told herself that _yes_ it _would_, it had to. She dug deep into the seed and found a world she had long forgotten existed.

Organic molecules and chemical compounds swirled around her. Asa reached further inside herself, recalling the sensation of the lovely _asagaos_ that had never left her side. And like an artist painting over an old piece, the atoms began to change.

The florist didn't know she was panting. She didn't know how tired she was. All she knew was she needed a final burst, one stronger than anything she'd ever given before.

Jaw clenched, she raised her hands. Green light like lightening shot out of her fingertips. The miniature world shook with the raw power she infused into it, electrified and sprouting further and further and further until—

Asagao gasped as she was thrown out again. She remembered seeing the iron bars, the concrete walls, and thinking of Izuku's smile before everything went black.

And there, up on the street above, a freshly born patch of morning glories poked out of cracked asphalt.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	13. Chapter 13

**Let's just get straight into it since I know some of you have been on the edge of your seats. Enjoy!**

* * *

"I'll go put it together— feel free to look around! I'll be back in about five minutes."

Izuku smiled brightly. "Thanks!"

The florist grinned back, then disappeared behind a door.

The moment she was gone, Izuku put a hand up to his face and groaned when he felt that yes, his cheeks were warm. This hadn't been the plan. All he needed was some flowers for his mother, and the online reviews for this place had been excellent.

Yet there he'd been, taken aback by how cute the shopkeeper was when she appeared and trying desperately not to show it by being enamored with the flowers surrounding him. Even worse, he probably looked like a complete idiot for not seeing the green chrysanthemums on the page, but to be fair, his mind had been far too busy rattling around with the color of her eyes to think straight.

Izuku sighed, his hand falling to his pocket. At least the shop provided some sort of distraction. It was beautiful, bright bouquets everywhere, pastel pink trim, and pictures on the walls. There was a sense of homeyness he hadn't expected, although that perhaps was because he'd been getting his mother flowers from the grocery store instead of a proper florist.

Suddenly, the hero remembered he was still holding her bouquet, and Izuku made his way to put it back where he'd gotten it from. Couldn't leave things a mess, right? That wouldn't make a very good impression.

Impression? What? Why did he want to make a good impression? Distraction. He needed to distract himself. The shop was nice. He should take some pictures and send them to his mom.

A minute later, he pressed the button for his text to send.

**Izuku:** The florist shop I went to is really pretty! I'll see you in about half an hour.

**Mom:** I love the pink :) Would love to be there! I'm sure the pictures don't do it justice.

The pro hero smiled sadly down at the screen.

**Izuku:** I'll bring you as soon as the doctor says it's okay!

**Mom:** I look forward to it!

Sighing once more, Izuku tucked his phone away. Hopefully that day would be soon. He didn't want to think about any other possibility.

He was studying an arrangement with orchids and some tiny flowers when he heard the back door open a minute later. Izuku's memories of what happened after that will always be muddled. He remembered seeing her standing there, looking adorable with a beautiful bouquet in her arms, and then, she was closing her eyes and humming a light melody. And he still swears to this day that he saw the flowers somehow brighten or sparkle or _something_.

Izuku walked out five minutes later with his heart and mind spinning.

* * *

"Holding up okay?"

Izuku tried to put on a cheerful smile. "Of course, Aizawa-sensei— I-I mean, Aizawa-san." Old habits died hard. It was still so weird sometimes to be working side by side with his former homeroom teacher.

Said pro hero gave a dry look that said he didn't buy it. "You know you should be taking time for yourself after work, not capturing bank robbers. The police were already handling it."

The younger hero shrugged meekly. "You know I can't help it."

"And your help was appreciated, but still," Aizawa sighed, "I know what you're going through. We told you to make sure you were taking care of yourself. Don't make me bring anyone else into this."

Izuku swallowed and nodded. He knew they all meant well, he really did. It was just hard for him to run away from a situation that needed help. And it wasn't like he'd wanted to miss out on his bi-weekly secret flower trip— the fact that he hadn't been able to make it hurt the most out of anything.

He considered these feelings as he walked out of the police station. Strange how quickly he'd become attached to that place (only to the place, he told himself, not her). He had only been twice, yet walking into the pink framed shop, smelling the flowers, taking in the sights (violet eyes came to mind)…something about it was just so welcome in the chaos that was his life. Being both a hero and a caretaker for his mother were full time jobs. Going to Nakano-san's flower shop was a break from all that, this amazing light at the end of a two-week long tunnel he could look forward to.

Despite himself, Izuku checked the time on his phone. It was past eight. There was no way she'd still be in the shop.

He sighed and stared up at the darkening June sky. And to think he'd planned to get there early in hopes of asking more about her quirk, too…wait a second, go early. He could go early in the morning!

One google search to check the shop hours later, Izuku was skipping home to his apartment. He'd get there even before she did tomorrow!

* * *

Nakano-san was amazing. He'd been late, again. She'd still let him and Todoroki into the shop. And then she stood there, listening to his best friend so attentively and speaking so gently, and Izuku just knew that there was no way he could wipe the soft smile off his face as he watched the two.

She was usually more peppy and joking with him, but to see her shift to be so respectful and caring and sweet toward Todoroki while he explained the situation with his mother…it stirred something inside Izuku's heart.

He was waving a final goodbye to her now, a thin stack of her business cards in his hand. Then, he skipped down the sidewalk to join Todoroki, who was idly scrolling through his phone as he waited.

"Ready to go?" Izuku asked.

Todoroki looked up and nodded. "Are we visiting your mother as well? She'd be closer to see first."

The green haired man shook his head. "No, no, we came to get the flowers for you! I know you're eager to give them, so let's go see your mom, then mine."

After another nod, the old friends set off down the street in a comfortable silence. Izuku allowed his mind to wander back to the shop, thinking about how Nakano had interacted with Todoroki. She really was something special, wasn't she? Cute, an amazing quirk, a kind heart. Surely someone like that was probably already taken— wait, why did he care?

"So…I can see why you insisted on going to her shop."

Izuku froze, his head whipping around to see that a sly grin was on Todokori's face. His cheeks flushed. "W-Well, I was right, wasn't I? She picked the perfect flowers for you, and—"

"Not what I was talking about, Midoriya-kun," Todokori cut in. "I've known you long enough to be able to read the signs."

Now he was even redder. "W-What signs?"

"That lovestruck grin on your face."

Izuku immediately tried to master his expression into something more calm. The chuckle from his best friend told him he'd failed. Izuku groaned and covered his face with his hands.

A couple minutes passed in silence before either spoke again.

"Are you going to do anything about it?" Todoroki asked.

"I—" Izuku hesitated. He thought about it for a moment, then sighed. "You know how I've always felt about this, Todoroki-kun."

The man shook his head. "You can't let being the number one hero stop you from having a life. Every other hero has to make the same calculation, decide if they think it's worth the risk. I, for one, think you deserve happiness."

Green eyes fell to the ground. After giving it much thought, he'd sworn off dating at the beginning of his pro hero career. There were just too many inherent dangers for people who were involved with heroes— he knew that well enough from his high school years. Izuku couldn't imagine putting someone he loved in a life filled with constant anxiety about being targeted by some villain.

But maybe Todoroki had a point. Maybe it was worth the risk. Maybe—

"She's also definitely your type."

Izuku's mouth dropped open, and Todoroki shrugged. The number one pro hero threw a light punch at his friend's arm.

* * *

Izuku was still wanting to bang his head against a wall by the time he arrived at the hospital. She definitely thought he was weird now, didn't she?

He hadn't intended on getting lost in her eyes, there was just something about the way the street lights were reflecting in them, and all the shades of purple were suddenly so vivid, and he wanted more than anything to memorize every single one, and then that train went by and shattered the moment. _Had_ it been a moment? Maybe it was just a one-sided moment. He honestly couldn't recall if she'd been staring at him back...wait, yes she had, they'd maintained eye contact that entire time! And then she'd still been there when he turned around to look at her one more time.

The hero rubbed at his eyes. Turns out he was still just as bad at interpreting women as he'd been in high school. Yet there was this warmth that had been growing inside him over the course of these visits that he could no longer deny. And sitting there with her tonight, talking about what was really going on, helping her close up the shop, standing out there in the pouring rain…

He felt like his heart was a mix between bursting and floating all at once, especially since he still hadn't decided if he wanted to ask her out yet.

Thankfully, he could put that aside for now. Or at least he thought he could.

The second he walked in, his mother perked up in her hospital bed. "Running later than usual. Did you spend some extra time with your flower girl?" she teased.

That stubborn blush from earlier made a reappearance. "She's not mine," he replied. The strain in his voice said he wished otherwise.

"Mm," his mother hummed knowingly. "And when are you going to change that?"

The hero strolled over and took a seat by her bed. He gently gave her the bouquet, which she took with bright eyes and fragile hands. Izuku watched her examine the flowers for a moment before he looked at the single morning glory in his hand.

"I don't know," he murmured. "I…I don't know if I can. A hero's life is dangerous. I don't know if I could bring someone into that."

He looked up at the sound of a light tsk. "You've always been so righteous, my little Izuku," his mother said, shaking her head. "It comes from a good place, but I worry you'll let it keep you from something wonderful. How do you feel when you think about her? What words come to mind?"

Beautiful. Caring. Intelligent. Funny. Adorable. Capable. Amazing.

Izuku swallowed. He was still wondering what words _she_ had to describe _him_. He knew he had plenty for her. "I'll think on it, okay?"

His mother nodded approvingly. "Baby steps, Izuku. Baby steps."

His mind flitted to the business card in his wallet. True to his word, he'd given all the rest out, but something had made him want to keep one just for himself.

Izuku took the card out and stared at Nakano's number. He'd done this more times than he could count during the last week, but he couldn't find a good reason to text her (other than his own personal desperation to get to know her better).

Then, a lightbulb went off over his head.

"Mom, would you want to take a picture with me to send to her?"

Green eyes like his lit up. "Oh, that sounds like a great idea!"

* * *

"Being quirkless doesn't make any person less than another. We're all human at the end of the day, quirks or not, and the strength it takes to be quirkless in this world is a power of its own."

That's it. He was going to ask this girl out if it was the last thing he ever did.

Izuku listened as Nakano continued on, his heart blossoming like one of her flowers. Her little brother was quirkless. She was defending him for being quirkless. She didn't see it as some terrible curse or an issue that had to be fixed. She loved her brother regardless, like having a quirk or not didn't make any difference to her.

If the pro hero had thought he was falling head over heels for her before, then he certainly was now.

He'd been toying with the idea of asking her out today for what felt like forever. And now, hearing her so passionately talk about her brother (who was _quirkless_) and his accomplishments, it sealed the deal.

Now how could he ask her out without it being awkward? Especially since said brother was in the shop, and there was no way there would be a good chance to ask her privately.

And of course this amazing, incredibly intuitive woman caught onto him. Not like it was hard, what with all the stammering and blushing. When he turned the corner from the street her shop laid on, he already had his phone out.

"I have an emergency, Iida-kun," Izuku blurted. "I don't know how to ask out a girl I'm interested in."

He could imagine his friend's hand chopping through the air as he said, "We will formulate the perfect text! One that conveys both sincerity and lightheartedness!"

The number one hero let out a relieved laugh. "Thanks, Iida-kun."

"Anything for you, Midoriya-kun! Now, let us begin! What did you have in mind for this outing?"

* * *

This was just what he'd been worried about all along. Just by him asking her out, now Nakano was thrust into a world she most certainly didn't ask for.

Izuku knew she wouldn't like it if she knew how much he was wallowing in his own misery over it, but he just couldn't stop feeling guilty. He'd seen her eyes when they were being followed— wide and confused and scared. That was a look he never wanted to see on her face ever again.

Maybe she'd figured out by now why he kept stopping by the flower shop so much. Something about the softness in her eyes told him so. Especially now, as he sat at her arrangement table typing up case files while she put together bouquets for a wedding next to him.

Nakano kept glancing at him. Izuku was being quieter than usual— something he was hyperaware of. And it wasn't like it was hard to notice, given his usual chatterbox personality. All day, everyone at work had been asking if he was alright, and every time he slapped on a smile and said of course he was.

And then there was Nakano. She hadn't asked yet. He could tell she wanted to. But she didn't. All she did was hum to her flowers, her delicate hands winding together bunches of tulips in ribbons of twine and lace.

An idea occurred to Izuku that suddenly made him feel even more guilty. What if she didn't feel comfortable asking? Did she think she would be prying again? Was he coming off as standoffish? Oh no, he really hoped she didn't think he was being quiet because he was mad or something. It was the exact opposite!

Feeling anxiety rising in him, all he could do was blurt out, "That reporter put out another article this morning."

Nakano stilled, then slowly looked up at him with furrowed brows. "I know."

"O-Oh," he sputtered.

"I saw it right after I woke up," she added on with a shrug. "Guess he's just too stubborn to give up, even after you said everything he wrote was a lie."

Izuku nodded quickly. "Yeah, sometimes people don't know when to quit."

An uncomfortable silence filled the greenhouse. The hero hated it. Had he made a mistake in bringing it up? Maybe he did. He really didn't know how to function in relationships, did he? Were they in a relationship? Oh yeah, he hadn't exactly asked her formally yet. He probably should do that. But what if she said no?

There was the scrape of her chair scooting nearer to his. When Izuku's gaze shot up from the ground, he found violet eyes a little too close (yet somehow not close enough).

"I know that's why you're probably off today," Nakano said. Calmly. No judgement in her voice. Huh, that was nice. "And I know you don't like it, but…" the florist in front of him trailed off, a beautiful pink hue lighting up her face.

Izuku wasn't fully aware of how or when he reached forward to thread his fingers through hers, only that even the slightest touch made him want to beg for more and how was her skin so soft and did she also notice the way their hands fit together perfectly and how did something so simple chase away all those stupid anxious thoughts?

Nakano was giving him an embarrassed smile now. He wanted to melt in his chair. "…at least all this lead to us being able to spend more time together," she finished. "That's one good thing that's come out of it."

Even if there was still a hint of that worrisome tightness in his chest, the hero couldn't agree more.

* * *

For someone who always thought that going slow was the best path in the beginning of a relationship, something about the petite woman in front of him made Izuku want to abandon that entire worldview.

"I guess you're pretty alright, too."

What the heck was that?! Why couldn't he have said something more charming? He probably sounded like a complete idiot!

Then again, maybe Izuku _was_ a complete idiot. They'd only been on one date, had only met three months ago, and here he was standing under an umbrella with her in the rain wanting nothing more than to kiss her until he passed out for lack of oxygen.

He just wanted to kiss her so _bad_, and Izuku hadn't known he could feel like this. His life had been some form of a mess more or less constantly ever since he'd been born, from his dad never being around, to being quirkless, to those rocky years with Kacchan, to all those villain battles in high school, to climbing the ranks.

And it all lead him to this moment, a moment where he swore his feet weren't touching the pavement, but he felt more grounded than ever. A moment where his heart was racing, yet somehow also felt so at ease. A moment where he'd never felt more happy and nervous and thrilled and terrified all at once, and—

Wait, was he being selfish?

The thought struck Izuku like a lightening bolt. This was too soon, he realized suddenly. He hadn't even taken her out on another date, yet! And he hadn't really asked her to be his girlfriend yet, and that wasn't right, right? And what if she didn't want to kiss him? He wasn't about to kiss her without her permission! They hadn't even discussed such things!

…wait, did people usually have conversations about that before their first kiss?

Izuku mentally slapped himself. That didn't matter right now. What did matter was making sure he got this right, and if that meant waiting, then it was worth it.

After far too much stammering, gazing into those gorgeous violet eyes a moment more, and questioning why he felt like there was something missing, Izuku found the courage to kiss her on the cheek.

His heart was pulsing loudly in his ears as he did it. Heavens, her skin was so soft and smooth. He could've kept his lips against her sweet face forever, then found a different spot to kiss, and another, and another.

But he didn't. He held back. If there was one thing Izuku had learned from the beginning of his quirk training, it was the ability to hold back.

And he was going to hold back until she gave him permission to let go.

* * *

Alright, it was time to let go.

He'd been wanting this for far too long. He remembered lying there on the sidewalk, blood pooling under him, Todoroki's mismatched eyes wide with panic as he kneeled over him. The bullet in his lung hurt like hell, but the worst pain was in his heart. All he could think about were things he wished he'd done and might not ever get to do. And in that moment, the one thing he regretted more than anything was not kissing Asagao under that umbrella last week.

She felt practically weightless as he hoisted her onto the kitchen counter. He honestly should've thought of this at the beginning. Though her personality often made up for her lack of height, the difference between them was significant. Who knew how long it would take before her neck started aching from the extreme angle it was at?

When there was a squeak against his mouth, though, Izuku hastily pulled back. "Sorry, I should've—"

"Shut up," Asagao laughed. Then she grabbed his shirt and pushed her lips back against his, and Izuku had to hold in a groan. There was just something so incredibly _irresistible_ about her.

He wrapped his arms around her waist as tight as he dared. If it was up to him, he would've never let go. But when it all came to an end, he made his exit with as much dignity as he could muster.

To be clear, Izuku didn't want to leave. He wanted to kiss her over and over again until he was sure her sweet taste would never leave his mouth. He wanted to hear her sigh, to feel her hands in his hair, to stay connected to those addictive lips for as long as possible.

But it was late. The show went long. He'd already stayed over later than he'd thought. Both of them had work tomorrow morning.

Plus, Izuku wasn't really sure how much time would lapse if he did start kissing her again. Probably too much (and not enough, all the same).

The pro hero was pretty sure he would've walked home in a complete daze if it wasn't for his phone going off. Izuku picked it up without even checking the caller ID.

"Hey, so when do you want to have that meeting about the Osaka case? I'm free tomorrow at nine if you want to come by my agency," Todokori suggested.

"I think I'm falling in love," Izuku replied, sighing dreamily.

"Yeah, okay, we knew that. About our assignment next month—"

Izuku's mind wandered as Todoroki talked about their upcoming mission. He'd hear it all again tomorrow, anyways, and right now all he wanted to do was think about Asagao.

There was a vague feeling in the back of his mind that he'd forgotten to do something important, but he couldn't remember what it was for the life of him. Oh well, he'd probably remember in the morning.

* * *

Izuku sighed happily as he skipped down the stairs of Asagao's apartment building, his lips still tingling from their chaste goodbye kiss.

He couldn't believe how lucky he was. He couldn't believe how _happy_ he was. He'd finally asked her to be his girlfriend, and now everything was just perfect!

Somewhere in his memory, he could recall the state he'd been in when they'd first met— stressed, bordering on hopeless, praying to every deity he could think of that his mom would pull through. And then there was Asagao, this lovely ray of light that walked into the darkness his life had become consumed by.

He didn't know if he'd ever fully be able to explain how much it meant to him— the flowers, the idle conversations, the feeling of normalcy, just her being _her_. And somehow along the way, Izuku had realized that even if his mother did get better, even as his friends began covering more of his shifts for him to help, even as the clouds began to clear…he didn't want to let her go.

Asagao had become more than a person who made his day when he stopped in. She was more than a bit of hope he could cling to. She was more than a comforting presence. She was something else, and he was so glad he was no longer denying himself of that.

The number one pro hero glanced back at her apartment building with a dreamy smile. For the first time in his life, he felt truly…content. It was an incredible feeling after everything he'd fought through to get to where he was.

Izuku walked back to the train station with a skip in his step, not once thinking for the life of him that anything could go wrong.

* * *

Oh how that had changed.

"She's gone because of me."

Todoroki fixed him with a firm look. "You can't assume—"

Broken green eyes flashed up. "It's _obvious_. This wouldn't have happened if I'd left her alone, if I hadn't dated her."

His best friend let out a sigh. It was evident he couldn't find a way to refute that. So, he took a different tactic. "You couldn't have known To— Dabi was targeting you again."

Dabi. Someone they had long presumed was dead. They'd seen the evidence themselves. Could that have been a ruse? How could he have possibly survived the attack? The civil war between villains hadn't been shocking— the tension had been building so long, and all it needed was a final strain to snap.

The fire wielder had been on the hit list from the beginning. He was powerful, uncontrollable, didn't bend to anyone's will but his own. Even his own kind didn't like that about him. Of course there'd been attempts to get rid of him. And they'd thought said attempts had been successful.

Guess it's just another thing they'd been wrong about.

The familiar sound of stomping roused the pair of friends out of their thoughts. Izuku and Todoroki looked up to see Bakugo standing in front of them with gritted teeth.

"What, is this sulking hour, or somethin'?" he spat. "You gonna just sit here, or are we gonna get the job done?"

Despite himself, the corner of Izuku's lip turned up. Sometimes he forgot why he needed Kacchan until moments like this. His former rival would always spur him on to be better— whether it was done nicely or not didn't matter.

The number one pro hero rose from his chair, expression set firmly in determination. "Where is he?"

"Meeting room three," Bakugo grunted. "They didn't wanna scare the kid by throwing him in an interrogation room."

Izuku nodded. Todoroki and Bakugo fell in line behind him as he wound through the halls of his hero agency. When they reached the door to the room, Izuku paused to take a breath and force his jaw to unclench. As angry as he was, now wasn't the time to show it. The situation called for gentleness (even though all he wanted to do was throw a full powered punch at every wall in sight).

The hero put on a soft smile right before he opened the door. His eyes fell on someone who reminded him too much of Asagao. Izuku forced himself to stay calm.

Hiro's frightened eyes darted to him. The teenager jumped up from his chair, rushing forward. "Deku-san! Have you—"

"We haven't found her yet," he shook his head.

Asa's younger brother visibly deflated.

"Oi, you can't give up that quickly," Bakugo ground out.

Hiroyasu's back straightened up, and he bobbed his head quickly. Izuku gave him an encouraging pat on the shoulder, then gestured for them to take a seat.

Izuku held in sigh. How on earth was he supposed to start this conversation? It wasn't exactly a subject either of them could view objectively.

He decided to get straight to the point. "I've already heard what you told the investigation team, but I wanted to hear it from you myself. What did you see?"

The teenager swallowed hard. "H-He was holding her by her throat. I think…I think he had something in his other hand, but I couldn't really see what it was. A portal was behind them, a-and she…she wasn't fighting." Suddenly, Hiro's saddened tone snapped into something more determined. "But I _know_ she saw me before they left. I know she did."

And now for the hardest part. "And you're sure it was Dabi?" Izuku checked.

When Hiro nodded, Bakugo scoffed. "He's kinda hard to miss."

Izuku noted Todokori's silence, but didn't comment. Nobody did. They couldn't imagine how he was feeling. First he lost his brother, then had him back as a villain, lost him again— and now he had risen from the grave. It was too torturous a tale for anyone to speak of.

As if he sensed what was going through everyone's heads, Todoroki said, "So how do we track him down?"

"He's always been illusive," Izuku murmured.

Bakugo crossed his arms. "We could do a heat search, but if he's not using his quirk to lay low, then that'll be useless."

"I—" Hiro gulped when the top three pro heroes' eyes flicked to meet his. "I have an idea," he whispered.

"Out with it, kid, we don't have all day," Bakugo drawled.

Hiro nodded. "R-Right. We— me and nē-chan used to play this game. It was like a code, and we would send each other messages through her flowers." When he was met with confused looks, Hiro stammered, "A-Anyways, my point is, we had specific ones for our names. Mine were yellow roses, and hers were morning glories. Whenever she left a message, that was her signature."

Realization dawned on Izuku. He stood up from the table. "She told me about that last week!"

"Exactly," the teenager replied. "We talk about it all the time, and because she saw me—"

"She could use it to signal her location," Todoroki finished.

Excitement filled Izuku's veins, only to quickly be replaced by panic. To signal her location, she would have to…oh no, but she said it made her pass out! She wasn't used to pushing her quirk that far!

Before the hero could get caught up in his worries, however, Bakugo was getting up from the table and marching out. A quick glance between the other three lead to them silently agreeing to follow after him. Izuku could figure out where Kacchan was going easily enough.

His old rival practically kicked down the door to the meeting room beside theirs. Blazing red eyes scanned the team of heroes assembled, most of whom were their high school friends.

"Spread out across the city!" Bakugo barked. "We're looking for a distress signal—"

"Morning glories," Todoroki added.

"—and they couldn't have gone far."

One of Kaminari's eyebrows raised. "How do we know it's from her?"

When Izuku looked to Hiro for an answer, the young teen straightened up. "You'll know, trust me. They won't be in a normal place."

Bakugo nodded. "You heard him— get out and scout. We're gonna find Deku's girl."

The heroes' expressions before them hardened, eyes glowing with determination. But none of them matched Izuku.

The number one pro hero's hands fisted at his sides. He didn't notice that they were already powered up to one hundred percent. He didn't see how his eyes were smoldering with barely contained anger. He didn't feel the raw strength of his quirk rolling off his body in waves.

All he knew was that his teeth ground together when he said, "Let's go get her back."

* * *

**Told you guys we'd get an Izuku POV chapter one day! Please leave a review!**


	14. Chapter 14

**We're back again! Thank you so much to everyone for the OVERWHELMING response to the last chapter! For anyone new, I always update on Sundays. Enjoy!**

* * *

Dabi's escorting wasn't as kind as Toga's had been, though that wasn't a high bar to begin with. Asagao was only vaguely aware of how he repeatedly pushed her down the hall. How long had she been out? Fatigue from her quirk's exertions plagued her mind, offering no answers.

As she was lead back to the room she'd first woke up in, Asa thought of morning glories. She thought of beautiful green eyes. She thought of Hiro, and her parents, and Meiko and Akari. And when Dabi turned to stare her down, she steeled her nerves.

An abrupt shove from the man in the lab coat only caught her slightly off guard. Asa glared before she sat down in a chair obediently. It wasn't like there were any other options.

What did catch her off guard, though, was a needle being jabbed into her neck.

* * *

Momo pushed the anxious ache in her heart aside, but only because she knew it wouldn't help. Heroes didn't have time for worry— not when a life was on the line.

She fiddled with the controls on her quirk energy tracker as she walked down the dark sidewalk. It shouldn't be surprising that it was leading her toward the warehouse district. It was within a relatively short distance of Nakano's shop, as they'd predicted. But it was dingy and mostly abandoned, and there should be no reason for the spike of quirk energy except for if they were right.

'God, I hope we're right,' Momo internally begged. Nakano had been so wonderful during the wedding planning, always making sure the shop was empty so they could have the utmost privacy. It was a pleasant surprise in the usual struggle to keep her personal life on the down low.

The pro hero shook her head. She had to focus. They had to get Nakano back, not just for her wedding, but for Midoriya. Momo saw the way those two looked at each other in the hospital. She knew how much they meant to each other only because she knew she and Iida looked at each other the same way, that unwavering gaze of hope and comfort and joy and pleading that the other would never get themselves into trouble like that ever again.

_"And you say they're not a couple yet?" she asked._

_Iida shook his head, though his blue eyes narrowed curiously behind his glasses. "According to Midoriya-kun, yes, but…"_

_"I think he's lying," Jirou snorted. "Look at them. There's no way they're not."_

_"Or they just haven't realized how they feel yet," Momo murmured._

_Her fiancé turned his gaze to give her a warm smile. "That is a possibility," Iida said, taking her hand in his. Momo smiled back at him. They knew firsthand what it was like to be oblivious to feelings for longer than expected._

The tracker on her wrist rattled violently. Black eyes flicked down. Momo's brow furrowed. It said there was a massive spike in quirk energy here a little over an hour ago…but why was it still radiating brief flickers of energy?

Momo's steps hurried. Nakano's signal, if she sent it, should be around here somewhere. She corned a building, freezing immediately at the sight before her.

There, sprouting up through broken asphalt, was a fully grown bunch of morning glories. It glowed dimly in the shadows of the night— a beacon, just like they'd been told.

She laughed, thoroughly relieved, before she put a finger to the comm in her ear. "Guys, I found her! Sending you my location now."

* * *

The shot of whatever they gave her worked well enough. Though her quirk was still drained, it was no longer completely blocking her brain from functioning. Somewhere in the back of her mind, she registered the steady pulse of new flowers attached to her heart. Asa didn't have long to contemplate it though, seeing as how that gruesome face was once again inches from hers.

"Hope you had a nice nap," Dabi drawled.

She bit her tongue and settled for replying with a shrug. She needed to play this safe. The tension in the room told her that much. One wrong word, and she might be staring down the barrel of a gun again. The man from earlier's hand was resting a little too close to his holster for comfort.

Turquoise eyes narrowed. "Not talking won't get you far."

Asa took in a steadying breath as subtly as she could. "I already told you I don't know anything about his quirk."

Her heart skipped a beat when the villain growled and turned away. Her eyes flicked down to his hands. They were twitching, but not lit with blue flames yet. He must still think she was worth something.

Toga, who had been sitting on top of a lab table swinging her legs, frowned. "Your own boyfriend didn't tell you about his quirk?" she questioned. When Asa shook her head, Toga sighed. "_Boys._ So stubborn, aren't they? Or maybe it's not that," she mused.

Asagao only figured out what she was inferring when those yellow eyes glinted teasingly. "It's not that he doesn't trust me," the florist replied. "I'm sure he has a reason for not telling me." When Toga looked delighted at her answer, Asa realized her jaw had tightened. She couldn't show that sort of emotion right now. Remaining neutral was best.

But it seemed every villain in the room picked up on the tinge of anger in her voice immediately. The corner of Dabi's mouth twitched up. He glanced at Toga, an unspoken command for her to continue her taunting.

"Geez, then what is it, then?" Toga questioned aloud. "And here we thought you two were peas in a pod! Guess he doesn't love you like we thought he did."

Asagao held in a snort. Something about that line felt like a playground threat or some stupid rumor you'd hear in middle school. "We've only been dating for a few weeks," Asa corrected. "We're not there yet. People don't fall in love that fast."

Toga clapped her hands, cheering, "Perfect! Then it won't be as hard to steal Deku-kun from you!"

The florist resisted the urge to clench her fists. "Izuku has never made it public knowledge how his quirk works. No one knows what it is, and if there is anyone who _does_, then I'm not one of them."

What little victory the villains seemed to be gloating in all but snapped at her statement. The man's hand drifted toward his gun. Dabi lifted a flaming hand in a silent threat.

Asa tried to take in yet another deep breath. She was on thin ice— she could feel it. But she'd been faithful to Izuku long before they'd started dating. She was one of his biggest fans, his staunchest supporters, and she wasn't about to stop. And besides, she was telling the truth. Izuku hadn't told her about his quirk yet, and to be honest, she'd never even thought about it much.

He was strong and kind and brave and caring, and that's all she needed to know. It didn't matter what his quirk was or how it worked. And once he'd explained to her on their first date why he didn't tell people, she'd never asked him about it again. It didn't offend her in the slightest— she knew he must have a good reason.

Dabi turned and raised an eyebrow at her. "Someone's devoted," he noted, in a tone that could only be described as disgusted.

Asa just nodded. Trying to change her loyalties or make her question Izuku's…_affections_ would never work. That much was obvious now. But that meant they had to try something different.

A sneer on his scarred face, Dabi moved to roughly slap a button on the wall. Asagao's eyebrows scrunched in confusion just before the room began to tremble. One of the walls slowly rolled back, and—

The florist forced herself to not gag.

It was some sort of…creature. Almost like the nomu's from Izuku's high school days. She remembered reading every article she could get her hands on about them. But no, this was different. Even more distorted.

It was a Frankenstein's monster of a human, bulging muscles looking like they were ready to rip at the seams and disfigured, wild eyes darting around the cage it was contained in. The creature let out a roar and clawed at iron bars with nails that could kill with a single swipe.

Asa swore she forgot to breathe.

The group of villains before her stared at the beast with bored expressions. "Less feisty than usual today," Toga pouted. "How disappointing."

The florist hadn't noticed Dabi move until there was a loud _hiss._ Violet eyes flashed over to see him opening a containment unit. Billows of white gas flowed out of it. The villain reached in without fear. When his hand re-emerged, there was a glowing yellow vial.

Asagao squinted, then held in a gasp at what she saw. There were green hairs floating in the fluid.

Dabi saw her reaction and smirked. "Let's see if we can't give it a boost with the number one hero's quirk, hm?"

Asa wasn't thinking when she attempted to scramble up from her chair. Before she got anywhere, though, metal restraints clamped down over her wrists and ankles.

'One of them has a metal manipulation quirk,' her frenzied mind told her. 'That doesn't matter— his hair, what do they think it will do? Is there a way out? How can I get them to stop?'

It felt like Dabi was moving in slow motion. He was on a platform now, stationed just over the creature's cage. With a snap of his fingers, the creature was looking up at the fire-wielder. Dabi rattled the vial like it was a bag of treats.

"Something new for you to try," he told it. "Want to find out what it is?"

The creature nodded its head. A scarred hand popped the top of the vial off. When Dabi began to tip it, Asagao opened her mouth to shout whatever would come to mind.

And that's when the wall to her left exploded.

Violet eyes squeezed shut to block out the violent wind that followed. She suddenly felt grateful for how the restraints kept her grounded. When she could open her eyes again, they filled with tears at the sight that was before her.

The forest green and black suit that clung to every muscle, an ivory cape that flowed effortlessly off his shoulders, brilliant eyes that flashed with the warning of danger—

Her hero had arrived.

All the rest of the villains stood up hastily, having been knocked over, but were immediately struck with shocks of electricity. A blur of blue and silver rushed into the room, followed by fiery red and bursts of explosions, and Asa couldn't keep up with it all. The pace of the battle was erratic and terrifying and so _powerful._ It was only when Todoroki's calm face was in front of hers that she finally realized she was actually getting out, she was really being rescued, she was—

"I'm freezing the metal," he told her. "It shouldn't hurt you."

Asa nodded dazedly. The chaos around her sounded fuzzy in her ears as she watched ice spread from his hand to her restraints. One by one, the metal cracked and fell off. Asagao felt like she could barely move. She was…she was—

"She's free!" Todoroki shouted.

Green eyes flashed in their direction. "Iida-kun, get her out of here!" Izuku ordered.

"On it!" came the reply, and not a second later, Asa was being whisked away.

"Izuku!" she cried, hand reaching back toward him.

"Don't worry, Nakano-san!" Ingenium said. "He will be perfectly safe! My job is to get you away from harm!"

The speed they were moving at stung her face. Asa turned to curl fully into the tough metal hold of the hero's armor. Izuku would be fine. She had to trust that he'd be fine.

She was grateful for her tight hold on his suit when they came to an abrupt halt. No sooner had they stopped was she being placed into the passenger seat of a car. The door slammed, tires squealed, and they were off.

"I've got her."

Asagao jumped, her head whipping around. Earphone Jack immediately said, "It's just me. I'm taking you to a safe house. This car is outfitted to be compatible with my quirk— if anyone tries to follow us, I can throw them off."

The florist nodded shakily. When had she been thrown into the world of superheroes again? She guessed she'd been born into it, but—

"What about everyone else?" she asked, eyes wide. "Are they—"

"Midoriya-kun will come when the job's done," Earphone Jack replied. Deep purple eyes flicked over to her. "Try to stay as calm as you can. I know that's a lot to ask right now, but it'll help."

Asagao forced herself to nod again. Her heart was still pounding, her hands still trembling, and every unexpected noise made her flinch. But she made herself breathe. She thought of how angry Izuku had looked when he came flying through the wall he'd decimated. He was the number one pro hero for a reason. He wouldn't get hurt, right?

But then she remembered him in that hospital bed, remembered that the man who put him there had been in that building, and felt her anxiety rising.

"Deep breaths," Earphone Jack instructed. "I can feel your tempo getting out of control. In through the nose, out through the mouth. We'll be at the safe house soon."

In. Out. Asa squeezed her eyes shut. In. Out. He would be okay. In. Out. He had lots of people there to help him. In. Out. If he did get hurt again, he would hopefully heal. In. Out. She would see him again. She _would._

The rest of the car ride passed in silence, even though her mind felt as loud as ever. When they pulled up to an old looking house on the outskirts of town, Earphone Jack wasted no time guiding her inside, sharp eyes scanning each dark shadow the trees cast as if she was daring them to move.

Asagao was briefly blinded by the warm light that flooded her vision when the front door was opened. She blinked. There were three heroes in the room. Eraserhead, Recovery Girl, and—

There on the couch was All Might. Izuku's mentor. The former number one hero whose age seemingly could no longer keep up with his quirk (according to the newspapers, at least). He was all skin and bones, but there was a kindness in his eyes as he gestured to the chair opposite him with a frail hand. "Please, have a seat."

The door shutting behind her startled her more than she'd like to admit. Recovery Girl let out a tsk, "Poor thing, you've had quite a fright, haven't you?"

"Give her some credit, she was brave enough to put out a distress signal," Eraserhead mumbled, his arms crossing. "Sit down— you need to be checked over."

"I-I didn't—" Asagao stammered. "T-They didn't do anything like _that_, or—"

Recovery Girl shook her head and walked over, taking Asa's hand in her own. "That's good to hear, but let me still have a look at you, dear."

"Any bodily harm we find on you can be used against them in court," Eraserhead added on.

Understanding hit Asa, and she nodded. The elderly woman lead her over to the seat All Might had offered. He watched her with a careful gaze as she sat down.

Recovery Girl closed her eyes, humming in thought. An uncomfortable silence filled the room. There was a sensation like searching running through Asagao's body. She tried to not resist it, even though anything unfamiliar at the moment made her want to bolt (now that she actually had the option to).

When the woman's eyes opened, she was frowning. "Not too much external damage— a few scrapes and bruises that I can heal up right away. Your quirk has been put through the wringer, though, dear!"

The stares of all three pro heroes fell on Asa, and she winced. "It was the only way to get the flowers out," she whispered.

All Might's head tilted. "You're not used to that sort of exertion, are you?"

Asa shook her head, "No, sir, I'm not."

"But you did it anyway?" Eraserhead asked, one eyebrow rising.

The florist nodded, and Recovery Girl let out a fond chuckle. "You and your boyfriend are a good match," she teased. "He always went beyond, too, no matter the cost."

Asagao smiled weakly. Izuku…what was happening to him right now? Was he okay? Had they won? Had they lost?

"Nakano-san."

Her unfocused gaze snapped to All Might. "Yes?"

The older hero paused. It felt oddly like he was reading her heart. "Can you tell us what happened?" he asked gently.

Though a shudder went through her, she said, "He— Dabi, he was in my apartment. Izuku had just dropped me off. I thought it was Hiro, but— it's hard to explain, I—"

"Take your time," Eraserhead mumbled. His monotone was oddly comforting and non-judgmental.

Recovery Girl patted her hand. "And if something is too difficult to discuss—"

"No, no, it's—" Asa shook her head. "It's just a lot to…to wrap my head around."

The heroes waited patiently as Asagao struggled to make a rough timeline in her head. When it finally spilled out, it was slow, filled with stammering and long pauses and going back to fill in details she'd forgotten. The only thing that made it easier was the steady flow of soothing energy transferring from Recovery Girl to her.

When she was finished, All Might leaned forward with his hands clasped together. "Few know the true nature of young Midoriya's quirk," he told her. "I'm guessing he hasn't shared that with you yet?"

She shook her head rapidly. "No, sir, and I told them that."

"Probably for the best, given the circumstances," he sighed, sounding as tired as she was beginning to feel. "How are you feeling?"

That…was a difficult question. "I'm not sure that just happened," Asa admitted.

Eraserhead hummed knowingly. "Denial is a common reaction to trauma. I've seen it hundreds of times."

Recovery Girl nodded. "It will be a while before you can fully process what you went through," she said. "I'd be happy to send you resources— meditations, self help, therapy—"

"She needs to be trained."

All Might and Recovery Girl shared an equal look of surprise at Eraserhead's statement, but he just shrugged. "All that other stuff will help, yes, but learning to use her quirk for defense is just as important."

Asagao blinked, her violet eyes wide. Defense? Her quirk? How could that be possible…there wasn't any way it could be used like that, could it? And training? Like a hero course? No, there had to be a mistake, she— the only reason they would suggest such a thing is if they thought something like this would happen again, and—

Anxiety shot through her heart at the thought.

"That would be valuable, yes," All Might nodded in agreement. His eyes shifted to look at her once more. "The most important thing in this moment is that you think about yourself and what you need," he continued calmly. "What would make you feel safe?"

She shivered. "I-I just want to know if Izuku— and everyone else, of course— is…if they're okay."

All Might smiled reassuringly. "He's strong, stronger than me," he chuckled. "He'll be here soon, I'm sure of it. Why don't you tell me about yourself, Nakano-san? He's already told me some, but I'd like to get to know you."

Her? The former number one pro hero…wanted to get to know her? There had been many moments in the past…wait, how long had she been gone? She would guess maybe a couple days, but she couldn't be sure. Being unconscious multiple times tended to blur the boundaries of time.

Anyways, this was yet another moment where Asagao recognized the reality she'd stumbled into. She thought back to the first time he walked in her shop all those months ago and tried to trace the path to here, the moment where All Might of all people wanted her to tell him about herself.

Even as her mind continued to run rampant with random thoughts, Asa made herself put on as big of a grin as she could manage. "Okay, um, I'm Nakano Asagao. I have a lot of nicknames, so you can really call me whatever you want."

An amused light lit his weary eyes. "How does Nakano-chan work for you?"

The fatherly tone in which he spoke soothed some of the anxiety in her chest, and she nodded. "That's fine with me. My— well, I bet Izuku already told you about my quirk," she laughed. "It's sort of hard to explain, but I'm…connected to the flowers, and that's why I have my shop, and…that's kind of it."

Recovery Girl, who had been listening intently, shook her head. "Oh, dear, there is always more to a person than just their quirk and their job!"

"You didn't mention your brother, for a start," Eraserhead said. "He says you're the reason he got into UA."

Asa's eyes darted down. "He got in all on his own. I just told him that I'd support him if he applied."

Eraserhead gave her a bored look. "You also paid the entrance exam fee."

When Asagao blushed, All Might took over the conversation. "Humility is an admirable trait," he stated, "but should never be confused with not having pride in one's accomplishments."

After a nod, the florist dared to peek up at the underground hero. "How did you know?"

"Teachers talk," Eraserhead shrugged. "And my daughter attends UA, too. From what I've gathered, she and your brother are friends."

"Huh, he hadn't mentioned that to me," Asa murmured. A brief silence fell over the room. It was…interesting being around people who seemed to so clearly see right through her. Then again, Izuku and her were similar in that manner— they both downplayed their jobs and successes. It was something she really admired about him because she knew she could never date someone with a big ego. Maybe the three heroes were just used to that kind of behavior from him, and that made it easier for them to recognize it in her?

The sound of a car door shutting snapped her out of her thoughts. All at once, Asa tensed, Recovery Girl squeezed her hand, and Eraserhead moved toward the door. He wasn't fast enough— the door almost flew off the hinges when it burst open.

Asa didn't remember getting up from the chair, just the sight of singe marks on his hero costume before she was enveloped in strong arms.

They didn't say anything. And if they'd wanted to, what could they say? No, Asagao just clutched his ivory cape as tight as she could and pressed her face into his chest, which yes, was going up, down, up, down because he was _breathing_ and he was okay.

The thought of what would happen next began creeping into her mind. Asa tried to push it away as much as she could. All she wanted to focus on right now was the sensation of Izuku sighing into her neck, his hair tickling her skin, and his fingers stroking her spine.

They were back together again. It was all over. Maybe not forever, but for just this moment, they were at peace.

* * *

**Don't worry, this story is far from over! Please leave a review!**


	15. Chapter 15

**Back again, back again! And honestly y'all are lucky, because I just had midterms AND moved into my first apartment, so most of this was written literally last night. Enjoy!**

* * *

"Because the work that heroes do is often within the public eye, it can be challenging to remember that all heroes are, first and foremost, human."

* * *

It was all very strange after that night.

Asa vaguely remembered talking to the police about what happened. Whatever she'd been running on ran out quickly after Izuku showed up, and she was left with a sort of empty exhaustion she had never felt before.

Dabi and the rest of them had been captured— well, except Toga. No one knew how she'd gotten away, but it wasn't difficult to imagine given her quirk. Asagao felt like she should have had a bigger reaction to the news than the half-hearted nod she gave to show she was listening.

At some point, she was taken to the hero hospital for a more thorough examination. Everywhere she walked, she was trapped in a square made up for four policeman. She barely noticed them.

Asa thought she recalled a conversation about putting extra security on her apartment. When she had been brought home, there was a camera stationed above her door. The lock looked different, too.

* * *

"Heroes are everyday citizens. They go to work, go to the grocery store, forget to do things. They are people. And, as people, they are deserving of the same rights to privacy as everyone else."

* * *

Dull violet eyes watched the speech as it aired live on tv. Who had told her it was on again? Her mom? Hiro? Her memory was fuzzy.

A numbness (the kind that she would have recognized as familiar to the last few days if she wasn't so numb) enveloped her as the words went in one ear and out the other. As she sat on the sofa, she held a pillow to her chest. She'd never done that before. Something about it just felt right.

_"You can behave, and I'll make sure you get our best cell. All you have to do is tell me everything you know about your boyfriend's quirk."_

_"I-I don't know anything. He— he didn't tell me. A-And even if he did, I wouldn't tell you."_

_The lazy smile on Dabi's face twisted into a snarl. His fingers twitched, and Asa's heart jolted._

**DING**

And just like that, Asa was thrown back into reality. She shuddered. That was the second time within the past hour. Maybe watching this wasn't a good idea.

She reached for her phone. It was a text from Meiko. Probably asking how she was again.

Asagao's gaze wandered down to the stacks of information pamphlets she'd been given before she left the hero hospital. The bold letters on the top one stared back at her.

_PTSD._

It wasn't a concept she'd ever thought much about before. It had only taken a few minutes with a therapist at the hero hospital to diagnose her with it, or rather, a particular form of it called acute stress disorder.

She recalled how she wandered out of the room in a daze. She found her way to the policemen who were charged with her protection. And when she asked, she was told, "Oh, I thought you were informed. Pro hero Deku left about thirty minutes ago."

* * *

"Pro heroes have fought for the right to privacy for many years. I am aware that many people believe that, given the spotlight status of many heroes, they should expect the general public to be intrigued about their personal lives. But while some heroes may have entered this line of work for the attention, I can assure you that the majority of them did not."

* * *

It was a week after the rescue when she decided to reopen the shop. The week had passed by in a blur of hazy memories (most of which consisted of lying in bed and staring blankly at a wall for several hours). She knew she couldn't stay that way forever. Bills had to be paid, employees needed jobs, and brides had to get their flowers.

It should also be mentioned that it had been a week since she'd seen or heard from Izuku.

The shop lights were dark when she crossed the street. She must have gotten here before Meiko or Akari…or the new girl. She'd forgotten she'd hired someone before all this mess. When was she even going to have time to train her?

Asa focused her attention on the key in her hand. One step at a time. That's what the pamphlet on PTSD told her. She didn't have to figure it all out right now.

With that thought in mind, she opened the shop.

Instead of the usual cheerful greeting, a wave of emptiness swept over her. She didn't remember falling to her knees, or when she started weeping.

All around her were dead flowers. Withering, dry stems sat in drained vases, and brown paper thin petals were scattered on the floor.

Perhaps worst of all was the fact that, for the first time she could recall, there was nothing for her heart to latch onto.

There was a void where her flowers had disappeared from— no, no they hadn't just gone away, she'd _killed_ them. She'd broken her own rules, she'd hurt the little souls she'd promised she would always protect and care for and love and—

Asagao would never know how long she sat there, her tears staining the hardwood floor. But at some point, there was a gasp, and then Meiko and Akari were at her sides.

"Take her into the back."

"But what if those are dead too?"

Asa sobbed even harder, and a set of gentle hands took her shoulders.

"I'm going to walk you home," Meiko said. "We'll take care of things."

Meiko wound up staying over at her apartment most of the day, her quirk never leaving Asa's side.

* * *

"The kidnapping of Nakano Asagao is an extreme, but very real example of the consequences the invasion of a hero's privacy brings. As our investigation unfolded, it became clear that the villains used information that was in part gained by the paparazzi. Some cameramen were even being paid by an anonymous donor for photographs. This cannot continue."

* * *

Izuku sat on his bed with his face in his hands. It was his fault. All of this was his fault. She'd been taken because he got involved in her life. And now the best thing he could do for her was to stay out of her life.

His phone buzzed on the nightstand. He swiped it and checked the screen— it wasn't her.

The hero grit his teeth. He'd contemplated calling her so many times, and so many times, he'd forced himself to put the phone down. Each time his phone went off, he hoped it was her. And yet each time, it hadn't been.

Sighing heavily, Izuku dropped the phone onto his bed and got up to begin pacing again. This had been the course of his day so far. Pace. Sit. Wonder. Hope. Pace. Sit. Wonder. Hope. That had really been how all of his days had gone since the rescue— with the exception of when he was on duty.

Izuku took up his usual pacing path, which was the small hallway between his apartment's living room and his bedroom. He missed her. He wanted to see her. He wanted to make sure she was okay. He wanted to kiss her if she wasn't. He wanted—

God, he wanted so many things, but he refused to let himself have any of it.

His shoulders were tensing up, and it took the hero a bit longer than it should have for him to realize that he was emanating an ominous green glow.

Izuku forced his quirk to relax. Getting riled up wouldn't help. Thinking about her wouldn't help. He needed to let all of this go— needed to let _her_ go.

Determined tears stung at the corners of his eyes. He wiped them away before they could fall. This had all been a mistake from the beginning. He'd endangered her. He should've stuck to his vow to never date. He should've…he should've…well, there were many things he _should've_ done.

Now he just had to figure out what he _would_ do.

Glassy green eyes stared out the window at the cityscape. Maybe one day he could apologize to her. Go to her and ask for forgiveness, wish her the best of luck in life, bring it all to a satisfying conclusion.

But for now, he had to do what he thought was best, even though (if he was honest) he was constantly questioning if he really knew what was best at all.

* * *

"The job of a hero is already difficult enough without interference. Ask yourself: would you have the guts to go into a career where your life, as well as the lives of your loved ones, are constantly at stake? My guess is no, no you wouldn't. Yet in your jobs, you had no issue with endangering a civilian's life due to your negligence of privacy."

* * *

When she came in the next morning, all the crispy brown remains had mysteriously vanished. Asagao walked around with a constant stream of purple surrounding her. She told Meiko it wasn't necessary, but Meiko just replied by saying it wasn't draining her quirk that much anyways.

The latest order of flower bulbs gave her mind a way to stay occupied. She planted each one of them with more care than usual, and when a new flower attached itself to her heart, she found tears welling up in her eyes.

'Never again,' she swore. 'I'll never do that ever again.'

Meiko and Akari left her to her devices in the greenhouse. They assured her that they would manage things up front just fine. There had been the usual chatter between customers and her employees throughout the day. A loud thump and the sound of the bell chiming more frightfully than usual broke the fragile spell of peace.

_**"Where is she?"**_

The familiar, rough voice made Asagao's anxiety spike only briefly. That was…but why would he…?

Stomps were making their way to the door to the greenhouse. Asa was already looking in his direction when Ground Zero burst in.

"Oi, don't you ever check your phone?" he snarled.

She felt for her phone in her pocket, but found it empty. "Oh, I— it's been in my purse all day."

Only slightly mollified, the hero nodded. "Alright, _fine._ Now listen up, I didn't want to do this in person, so I'm gonna say it once."

The florist merely folded her hands. Funny how she used to find him intimidating. And yet even with those piercing red eyes staring her down, they were nothing compared to the turquoise ones she'd faced last week.

"I told you to not mess with him," Ground Zero said. "And now Deku's walking around moping all the time, and if I have to deal with him for one more second, I'm gonna kill him! So what did you do, huh? Break up with him or somethin'?"

Asagao blinked. "I— no, I…I haven't heard from him."

The pro hero raised an expectant eyebrow. "Yeah, and?"

She tilted her head. "And what?"

"Tch, I can't believe you don't have him figured out yet," he scoffed. Ground Zero crossed his arms and gave her a dry look. "You seriously didn't think about contacting him _once?_"

Asa opened her mouth to reply, then stopped herself. Weren't they…done? Izuku hadn't called or texted her…he hadn't even stayed at the hospital to see her out. He'd just left without a word. That seemed as good as any breakup text to her.

"I can't believe I have to spell this out for you," the hero before her grumbled. "That idiot of yours is beating himself up because he thinks it's all his fault. He thinks he's bad for you or some shit."

"But he's—" Asagao's eyebrows scrunched in confusion. "He didn't…it's not like he asked for all of this, it just happened. It's not his fault."

Ground Zero looked ready to burst. "Then how about you go tell him that yourself, dimwit?"

The florist had enough sense to give him a light glare. "I don't think he'd—"

He held up a hand for her to be quiet. She shut her mouth (why, she'll never know) and watched as he pulled out his phone and typed away. Her phone dinged right after he pushed the final button.

"There, now you have his address," he grunted. "Now go fix him before I lose it."

* * *

The incessant clicking of cameras paused only briefly as the cold eyes of pro hero Eraserhead stared them down. Many members of the press would later swear they saw a red tinge in his gaze.

"Just as heroes must take responsibility for any damage incurred during a fight, you must also take responsibility for your actions in the kidnapping of an innocent woman," he stated. "Heroes are humans. You will treat them as such."

* * *

Asa's eyes were fixed on the apartment building looming in the distance. It was completely unassuming. She checked the directions on her phone again— they said this was the place.

She took in a deep breath. She needed to be here. If Bakugo was right, then she needed to get those stupid ideas out of Izuku's head. And even if…even if they did decide to break up, as much as that would hurt, she wanted to make sure Izuku wasn't wallowing in guilt for all of eternity. She cared too much about him to let that happen.

The florist steeled her nerves and began to walk toward the final road crossing.

_bzzzzt bzzzzt_

Stopping in her tracks, Asagao pulled her phone out of her pocket. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the name on the screen. Nevertheless, she didn't hesitate to answer the call.

"Hey, I—"

"Asagao, I am so sorry," Izuku blurted. "I— I shouldn't be calling you, but I just can't stop thinking about you, and I thought that maybe I— no, I know I owe you an explanation, and—"

Her gaze drifted up when she saw movement. On the fourth floor of the apartment building was a lit window. There was a figure pacing back and forth in front of it, outlined by messy hair and a wildly waving hand.

Grinning, she started walking again.

"I just," he let out a frustrated noise, "I just thought that I, you know, I'm a hero, and that means that sometimes it's dangerous for the people in our lives, and I don't want anything happening to you again—"

"Mmhm," Asa hummed. She was climbing up the stairs now.

There was a loud sigh. "Look, I, um, I was thinking that maybe we could meet up some time to…talk? I want to explain everything, and I'm sure you're mad at me, and again, I'm really sorry, I should've said something before I—"

"Dropped off the face of the planet?" she supplied.

"Uhuh," he said. Asa imagined him shaking his head quickly in that way he did when he felt bad about something. "So, uh, you might be busy right now actually— or, no, the shop is closed already, right? I think I saw it was open again. I went by the other day, but I couldn't— anyways, when you can, maybe you could text me a time you could talk next week? If you don't want to, I understand, really—"

Asa stared at the numbers on the apartment door. This was the one. He was right through the wall.

"Asagao, are you still there? If I caught you at a bad time, I can—"

"Go to your front door."

"Huh?"

The corner of her lip turned up. "Just go."

"O-Okay, yeah, sure," Izuku stammered.

She could hear footsteps, and her heart began hammering inside her chest. What was she even going to say to him? Asa took a step back. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe—

The door swung open. Wide green eyes stared at her. She pushed the button for their call to disconnect. He almost dropped his phone in shock.

"Um, hi," she greeted awkwardly.

Izuku swallowed. "Hi."

The silence was overwhelming. But despite it, she couldn't deny the relief that seeing him again brought. She resisted the urge to let her eyes roam over every inch of him, just to remind herself of what he looked like.

After several seconds of silence ticked by, Asa took a tentative step forward. "Can I—?"

"Oh, yes!" he exclaimed, scrambling to hold the door open further. "Come on in. I, ah, well, the kitchen is a bit of a mess, but everything else is fine."

When she walked in, Asagao wasn't the least bit surprised to find that he lived humbly in a normal apartment like everyone else. Although stuff like that wasn't exactly important right now, but…it still was nice to know.

The walls were pretty bare, but there was a collection of family photos on one particular spot. There was a comfy looking couch in the living room (which had an All Might blanket draped over the side), and sure enough, the kitchen sink was filled with dishes. The little houseplant on his kitchen counter made her smile. She wondered if he got it before or after they met.

"It's, ah, well…"

Asagao turned to see Izuku scratching the back of his head. "I would've cleaned up if I'd known you were coming over. Not that I don't usually clean, but—"

"It's fine," she insisted.

Those green eyes only made eye contact with hers for a second before they darted away. His mouth opened. It snapped shut. Izuku stared down at the space between them, his eyebrows furrowed in a way that told her he was thinking very hard about what to say.

Then finally, he said, "Asagao, I'm…I'm really sorry."

The florist clasped her hands together in front of her. She didn't really know what to do with them. She wanted to reach out to him, but he seemed to be intentionally keeping his distance.

"I think you've already said that a few times," she replied.

Izuku laughed nervously, "Guess I have, haven't I?"

After a moment of hesitation, Asa stepped closer. She tilted her head so that she was in his line of sight. "What are you sorry for?" she asked, barely a whisper.

There was motion— almost like he was about to decrease the distance, but then decided against it. Asa's heart ached.

"I'm sorry that my involvement in your life got you hurt," he admitted. There was an audible strain to his voice. "I didn't— I never wanted that for you. Not ever."

Asa smiled sadly. "I know."

Pain filled his eyes. "I just— I'm so _sorry_, and you deserve safety and to not have this kind of stuff happen to you, and I," the words cut off. His eyes were shimmering with unshed tears now. "I can't be that."

She dared to give him a stern look. "Don't I get a say?"

Izuku jolted, almost like he'd been electrocuted. "Oh, ah, of course! I didn't mean to tell you what to do, I—"

In the middle of his apology, his hands had gone up in a placating manner. Asagao took one of them before he could pull away.

He froze at the touch, but she held on steadily. Izuku stared at her with his mouth dropped open as she moved to stand not an inch from him.

"First of all," she started, "no more apologies."

The hero nodded. "I'm so—" he stopped himself. When Asa laughed, his cheeks turned pink.

The florist threaded their fingers together. "Second of all, I missed you."

Just like that, all of the tension in Izuku's body melted away. Whether it was consciously or subconsciously, he squeezed her hand. "I missed you, too," he murmured. "I missed you so much."

"Then why are you doing this?" she asked. "Why do you think you can't be what I deserve?"

He swallowed thickly. "Because you deserve better, and—"

"—but I get to decide what I _want._"

Those beautiful green eyes widened, and that mouth was hanging open again, and man, she just really wanted to kiss him. But she wasn't finished. There was still guilt written all over his face, and she wasn't leaving until it was gone.

Her heart tightened painfully, and suddenly, she found that she was the one who couldn't look him in the eye. She gazed down at their connected hands, watching the way his thumb absentmindedly smoothed over her skin.

"Look, no matter what happens, if we—" Asa took in a sharp breath. "If we break up or stay together, I don't want you feeling bad about something you couldn't control."

"But I could've—"

Violet eyes flashed up at him. "No, you _couldn't._ Things happen. People get hurt. It's literally your career."

Izuku frowned. "But you aren't just people to me. I can't let that happen again."

"Well it's not like it was fun or anything," Asa snapped. She was getting tired of this. She swore she was going to have to beat it into that overly righteous head of his. Maybe she should've brought Bakugo with her.

The hero tried to pull away. "That's not what I meant, but I just can't let you be in danger like this, and the best way I know how is for us to not be together."

His words hit home, and in her shock, Asa let his fingers slip through hers. Her heart felt like it was about to burst. She tried to control the wobble in her voice when she said, "You're still not letting me have a say."

The comment made him wince. "Sorry," he apologized.

An uncomfortable silence filled the apartment. There was distance between them again now, and unbeknownst to the two of them, both were aching to close it.

Finally, after a minute passed, Izuku came forward and wrapped his arms around her. She shuddered, sinking into his chest and soaking in the warmth he always brought with him. She couldn't lose this. She hadn't even had it that long, and this week had shown her how awful things were without him. Asagao couldn't imagine how long it would take her to get over him if they broke up, if ever.

He nuzzled his nose into her hair. "You know I care about you a lot, Asagao," he murmured.

She sniffed, "And I care about you a lot, too."

The hero heaved a sigh. "I…I don't know what to do," he confessed. Izuku leaned back just far enough to look into her eyes. "Please tell me what to do. I don't want to not be with you, but it feels like the only option."

A strangled laugh bubbled up out of her throat. "That sounds like a pretty narrow path— only one way."

He cracked a grin. "Yeah, yeah it does."

Her eyes drifted down to his lips of their own accord. Izuku must have noticed, because moments later, he bent down and pressed their lips together.

Asagao sighed into him and clutched onto his shirt even tighter. She'd forgotten how wonderful this felt. The pain in her chest melted away as he kissed her, the pace slow and gentle and asking for forgiveness.

It had just started to heat up when an idea popped into her mind, and Asa broke the kiss. "Make it up to me."

Green eyes blinked. "Huh?"

"It's the other way," she said. "Make it up to me. Make us being together worth it."

A grin broke out on Izuku's face. Before she knew it, Asa was being picked up and spun around in the air.

"That's it!" he laughed. When he set her down, his eyes were glittering. "I'll make it up to you! Are you free next week? Can I take you out somewhere nice?"

Asagao giggled, "I'll make time. Like I could ever say no to you."

* * *

**Quick note: the parts about PTSD were written from my personal experience with it. Writing this story actually helped me battle it a lot. I've also studied psychology and stuff, so I want to make it clear that everyone can have different PTSD symptoms.  
**

**Please leave a review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Moving onward! We're actually getting into my favorite part of the story, believe it or not. A huge shoutout to my friend to helping me plot this out. Enjoy!**

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October felt like hitting a restart button. The slight awkwardness between them reminded her of after the paparazzi incident, but the couple pushed through. Right now, Asa was trying to hold down a blush as her boyfriend winked at her. He'd been doing silly stuff like that all morning, always making sure none of the girls saw it.

Getting the shop back in order had been a big undertaking— one that Izuku had immediately volunteered to help with. The new girl Chiemi seemed a little jumpy around him, but other than that, her hero chatted smoothly with Meiko and Akari as they unloaded bags of soil and rolls of wrapping paper.

He popped out of the back a minute later, and, after a cursory look around, leaned down and pecked her on the lips. Asagao giggled and covered her red face with her hands. Izuku had always been affectionate, whether in words or action, but he was apparently taking his promise to make everything they'd been through worth it very seriously.

"I have to go soon," the number one pro hero pouted. "My shift starts in half an hour."

Asa nodded before she got up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. "Thanks for helping, seriously. I know how busy you've been."

The smile Izuku gave her could have lit up the entire room. "Of course! I'll go get a few more bags in, and—"

"Eep!"

The couple turned to see Chiemi staring at them with wide grey eyes. "Oh, I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to intrude! How rude of me!"

"It's fine," Asagao laughed. "You need help?"

Chiemi's head bobbed up and down. "Yeah, Meiko-san and I were wondering where you want the new ribbons put."

Izuku grinned. "You did the right thing coming to get her— you'll find your boss lady is pretty particular."

While Asa elbowed her boyfriend lightly for his joke, Chiemi just blushed and darted back into the greenhouse.

"Still skittish around me," her hero mumbled.

"I was too, at first," Asa said, chuckling and taking his hand to drag him into the back of the shop. "I think you forget your celebrity status."

"That's true," he admitted. "But a hero's job isn't to be a celebrity. We're supposed to—"

Rolling her eyes, Asagao pushed her boyfriend toward the unloaded bags of soil. "Save the inspirational message for your next public speaking event," she teased. She could hear Meiko and Akari snickering, but nonetheless, Izuku nodded and ran over to help.

Ten minutes passed by quickly, Asa spending the time showing Chiemi where to put things. A gentle brush on her shoulder told her that her boyfriend's time was up, and the pair walked together to the back door.

"See you next time, Deku-san!" Akari called.

Meiko nodded, "Thank you for your help."

After Chiemi gave a nervous wave, the couple stepped out of the greenhouse to the back alley. The moment the door was shut behind them, Izuku was leaning down and giving her a chaste kiss. "See you tonight, okay?"

Asa still wasn't quite ready for him to leave, but she wasn't about to ask him to stay. They both had jobs to get to, after all. She did, however, fling her arms around his waist and squeeze tightly. The humored laugh he let out rumbled deep in her ears, and she sighed happily.

When a few seconds had passed, Asagao let go. "No more hints on where you're taking me?"

Green eyes glittered mischievously. "Nope!"

The florist stuck her tongue out. "Ugh, fine."

Izuku chuckled and pressed one final kiss to her head. "Have a good day at work."

Asagao let herself watch him leave until he turned out of the alleyway, then walked back into the greenhouse.

"You two are adorable," Meiko said the second she entered.

"They remind me of me and my boyfriend!" Akari added.

Their boss's cheeks pinked, but she just waved a hand. "Come on, let's keep working— the shop isn't going to run itself!"

The day ran smoothly after that. She had a few bridal appointments in the morning, and around lunchtime, Akari and Chiemi's shifts were done, and Meiko left to get lunch for her and Asa.

The shop was quiet during the lunch break, which was a nice change of pace. Getting everything back to normal had been undeniably stressful. Thus, the florist contented herself with checking over some emails behind the counter while she waited for Meiko's return. But of course, peace never lasted long.

The bell above the shop door jingled, and when Asa looked up, she tried to keep her disbelief from showing.

Pro hero Echo. Wild violet hair, hands in his pockets, eyes that didn't give anything away other than vague interest as he scanned her shop. Yup, he was just like the news stories made him seem— although the cat sweater was a pleasant surprise.

Those blank eyes landed on her. "You're the shop owner, right? Nakano?"

The florist blinked at his lack of honorifics. "Ah, yup, that's me. And you're—"

"Shinsou is fine," he shrugged. "None of that hero name crap."

Asa nodded immediately. It made sense— he was an underground hero like Eraserhead. They avoided the limelight for a reason. Or maybe he was just modest? She could probably ask Izuku sometime.

"So," she cleared her throat. "I'm guessing you need something?"

Shinsou hummed a yes. "Just got back in town an' thought I'd get something for Eri."

Purple eyes brightened. "Oh! I met her a while back."

The hero raised an eyebrow. "You did?"

"Mmhm, she came in with Eraserhead um…I think about a month ago?" she replied. "I've kinda lost track of time, but I still remember what she got. It was peach roses with white carnations."

"She like 'em?"

Asa grinned. "Yeah, Eraserhead came back and got her more after. They should be dead by now, though, so if you get them for her, she won't have double."

Shinsou nodded, "I'll take those."

The florist hopped up from her seat behind the counter. "I'll have them ready for you in just a few minutes!"

Walking back into the greenhouse made a sensation of comfortable familiarity wash over Asagao. She had missed all of this— or perhaps she just hadn't treasured her flowers as much before. The memory of piercing turquoise eyes shot through her mind, and a jolt of anxiety rattled her heart, but Asa took in a deep breath. Focus on the present, not the past. She'd done what she did to survive. And she would never ever do it again.

Asa pushed herself forward and made her way to the peach roses. They tilted their heads at her sweetly, and when she gathered up the white carnations with them, the flowers sang happily at being in contact with ones so similar in personality.

The florist had gone with white paper for Eri in the past, but the more she thought about it, the teenager's hair tended to have more of a silvery tint to it. Thus, Asagao cut off a slice from a new roll of embossed silver paper, and within two minutes was walking out the door humming.

When she came back in, Shinsou was leaning against the counter, his chin in his hand. There was a curiosity in his eyes. She didn't get to ask why before he said, "You're Hiro's sister, right?"

She blinked. "Oh, how'd you know?"

"Eri talks about 'im," he replied. "And you've been in the news."

Asa's smile faded only slightly. Right, she forgot she was now rather…infamous. And he was a friend of Izuku's, after all. He'd probably been kept up to date on what had happened. "Yeah, um— so I guess they're friends?"

"Can't tell," the hero mused. He accepted the bouquet when she held it out, then tilted his head. "Guess he's never mentioned her?"

"To be honest, we don't talk as much as I would like," Asagao admitted. "Age difference and all that."

"Understandable," Shinsou shrugged. Asa put her hand forward for a credit card, and he handed one over. "Just sounded from what Eri said that they were pretty close."

"Huh, I'll have to ask him," Asa said. "What year is she again?"

"First year."

The florist gave him his card back. "How'd they meet, then? Hiro's a second year."

"Beats me," Shinsou muttered.

Asagao grinned. "Being an older sibling can be so hard sometimes, right? I feel like I can never keep up with his life because I'm so busy with mine."

The corner of the hero's lips turned up. "Yeah, yeah it can be hard."

Asa wanted to puff out her chest in pride at having gotten a little bit of a positive response from him. Something told her that was probably difficult. "Well, you're being a good brother now by getting her flowers," she told him. "I know she's going to love them!"

The hint of a twitch on the hero's face turned into a full smile.

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"Evening, m'lady," Izuku greeted, planting a kiss on Asa's cheek. When he leaned back, he lifted his hand to wipe at the smudge of dirt on her forehead. "Someone had fun today!"

The florist smiled up at him dreamily. Why did something so little like that make her heart squeeze with joy? "The new bulbs already needed to be transferred," she told him as she took her apron off.

Her boyfriend hummed. "Are you using your quirk to grow them faster?" When Asa nodded, Izuku grinned excitedly. "I think I picked a great place, then! Their salad menu online was really impressive."

Asagao let out a laugh and grabbed him by the hand. "Come on, mister— you can see the flowers' progress while I get changed."

The moment they stepped into the greenhouse, there was a loud gasp behind her. "Wow, they've grown so fast!"

Beaming, Asa let go of his hand so she could pick up the bag with her change of clothes. "They've gotten used to you since you've been around from their birth, so you can go visit, if you want."

Izuku quirked an eyebrow. "But I thought they can't understand me?"

"They can't," she shook her head, "But they're sensitive to emotions, and I think you'll cheer them up."

The happiness in her boyfriend's eyes melted into something softer, and it only took a step forward before she was wrapped up in his arms, lips pressed sweetly against hers. Asagao's lids fell shut and she kissed him back with vigor— which he gladly replied to. Suddenly, his lips left hers, and he set them on a random path all over her face.

The florist burst out laughing and pushed herself out of his hold. "You're ridiculous," she giggled.

"Only for youuuu," Izuku sang.

Asa snorted. "Go talk to the flowers, boyfriend. I'll be out in a few minutes."

He nodded dutifully. "Yes, dear."

Her heart skipped a beat— had he called her something like that before? She couldn't remember, and now she felt all warm and tingly, and she was really glad the shop bathroom was only a few feet away.

The second she shut the door behind her, Asa let out a groan. Hadn't she gotten over being flustered by him a while back? But…did she really ever _want_ to get over these silly feelings?

Asagao shoved the thoughts aside and focused on switching out her work outfit for a dress. It was one of her favorites— dark green and kinda long, matching well with her cream autumn jacket. She didn't realize until she looked into the mirror that she had accidentally matched her boyfriend's appearance.

The florist decided to forgo putting up her hair, and instead just tried to rake her fingers through it enough to settle down flyaways. Asa was still smoothing down her hair when she exited the bathroom. She giggled when she saw that Izuku was over by the sunflowers. Of course.

"—and you guys just keep doing your best, okay?" he was saying. "I'm really proud of you, and I know you're going to make people happy!"

Asa covered her mouth to smother a snort, but it was still loud enough to gather his attention. Green eyes flickered over to her. Her boyfriend froze. The woman watched with amusement as his gaze traveled down her body, back up, then down again.

Then, Izuku startled.

"Oh!" he yelped. His cheeks flushed scarlet. "O-Oh, I, I am so so sorry, I shouldn't have—"

Snickering, she replied, "Oh, yes, because I have never checked you out. Not once."

It took her hero a little longer than it should have to pick up on the sarcasm in her tone, and when he did, his face only turned redder. "Er y-yeah, let's um, okay, well— you ready to go?"

Giggling, she skipped over and pulled him down by his collar to put a kiss on his nose. "You're cute," she teased.

Izuku groaned and covered his face with his hands. "I-I just— I'm not—" he made a noise that sounded like a whine, "I don't really…have much experience with…_dating_."

"Hm, guess we haven't really talked about that, have we?" Asa realized out loud. When he shook his head, the florist took his hands in hers so she could see his face again. "It's okay, I haven't dated much, either. Career and all that."

Curious green eyes blinked at her. "Really?"

"Really," she nodded.

"But— but you're you." Izuku was almost pouting, and Asagao wondered if he knew he looked so confused.

"And you're you," she shrugged. "I figured the number one hero would've been the top bachelor in all of Japan."

Her boyfriend was quick to deny it, "No, something I learned from my mentor was that taking the top spot doesn't leave much time for personal stuff. I swore off dating as soon as I became a sidekick."

Asa's eyebrows scrunched. Izuku seemed to realize what he'd said the second he finished his sentence. He began stammering, "I-I mean, um, well, it's, ah—"

"You made an exception for me," Asa said softly. "Last week, you said you'd made a mistake. Is that…is that why everything that happened freaked you out so much?"

The hero in front of her squeezed his eyes shut before he nodded. She didn't know why, but right now Asagao's heart felt a rush of pain and overwhelming affection all at once. Leaning up on her tiptoes, she pressed a long, still, sweet kiss to her boyfriend's lips. The tension that had built up in his body left, but she still picked up on the way his mouth trembled slightly against hers as he kissed her back.

When they parted, Asa looked up to see that Izuku's eyes were glassy. She smiled at him gently. "Let's go to dinner, okay?"

He took in a sharp breath. "Y-Yeah, of course."

While the couple weren't typically ones for anything more than holding hands in public, Asa could sense Izuku needed more tonight. So as soon as she had finished locking up the store, she took his hand and wrapped her arm around his, happily wound around him. The adoring look her gave her told her that her assumptions had been correct.

The florist nuzzled her cheek into his shoulder. "So how was work today?"

"Oh, it was great!" he replied. "Well, I mean, not _great_ great, but—"

"I know what you mean," she laughed. "Tell me all about it."

"Right, so we've been working on cracking down on this new villain gang for a while now. Nothing like the stuff we've dealt with before— mostly a few robberies, but they were getting bolder, and we needed to put a stop to it before things got out of hand."

"Mmhm?"

"Yeah, so what made it great was I got to team up with Kirishima-kun! He'd had some run-ins with the gang recently and has been tracking how their operations usually run. They always move in a pattern, and once he figured it out, all we had to do was go wait for them to strike."

"Guessing that went well?"

"Yup! All locked up now. What really impressed me, though, was how strong Kirishima-kun's quirk has gotten! He's able to sustain his ultimate move for longer periods of time. Honestly, if I were the bad guy, I'd be terrified to face him!"

A chilly breeze went by, and Asagao snuggled more into her boyfriend's side. "Good thing you don't have to worry about that," she murmured.

Izuku shifted. "You okay? Are you tired?"

She shook her head against his arm. "No, I just missed listening to you talk. It's nice."

A light pressure on the top of her head told her he'd kissed her. "I'm sorry."

"No more apologies."

"Right, I— I missed you, too," he whispered. "I missed your smile."

Asagao lifted her head so she could see his eyes. "Oh?"

"And your smell," he added, face only slightly pink.

She grinned. "And what do I smell like?"

"Uh…" Izuku pondered it for at least a block before he answered, "Sort of sweet? But not completely, there's like this spice to it, or— you know the smell of grass in spring? Like that! I-In a good way, of course."

Asa giggled. She could figure out what he was saying well enough— she must carry her flowers' scent everywhere without realizing it. "You smell nice, too."

"O-Oh! Thank you!"

The florist could tell they were almost at their destination— a nice restaurant was coming up on their left. But before they could take another step, she pulled her boyfriend to a stop and looked up into his eyes.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

Izuku blinked. "N-Nothing! Why would you—"

"You're more stutter-y than usual," Asa told him. "So what's wrong?"

Her hero's eyes widened. He looked ready to deny her claim, but on second thought, let out a nervous laugh.

"You're right," he said. "I just…I just want to get this right. You and me."

Asagao squeezed his hand. "You _are_ getting it right. The only way you'll get it wrong is if you're too focused on getting it right."

His eyebrows scrunched. "That's confusing."

She shook her head. "What I mean is, you won't be able to enjoy just being together if you're constantly worried you're doing something wrong."

Izuku stared at her, mouth dropped open. "You…that was very wise. I thought you said you hadn't dated much?"

"Doesn't take much to realize stressing out doesn't help," Asa shrugged. When Izuku nodded slowly, she leaned up and kissed his cheek. For the second time that hour, she watched as her boyfriend relaxed.

Sighing deeply, her hero squeezed her hand tightly. "If you can't tell, I'm a very anxious person."

Her smile softened. "I know. It's okay."

Izuku swallowed. "Yeah, but you don't have any flaws like that."

Asa raised an eyebrow. "Have you _seen_ my temper?"

"I think it's cute," he admitted shyly.

A stupid, girlish, warm tingly feeling went through her, and the florist tugged on his arm to get them to start moving again. "You say that now— wait until I really go off."

"I think we'll handle it."

_We._ That was a nice word.

Asagao wasn't surprised when they were lead into a private backroom right as they entered the restaurant. It was very nice, just like Izuku had promised. Surprisingly, she didn't feel that awkward feeling she usually got when she wound up at fancy places. Something about Izuku's strong hand in hers made her feel right at home.

After he had given her a full run down of what he'd been told were the best salads on the menu, they ordered, and the couple settled into comfortable conversation.

"There was something I forgot to mention earlier," he said. "About work."

Asa swallowed her sip of water. "Yeah?"

The hero considered what words to use for a moment. "So…Aizawa-san, I think he said he mentioned it to you, but he thinks you need to start training right away. Most of the others at the meeting agreed."

The florist nodded. "And you? Do you agree?"

Izuku nodded back slowly. Asa leaned back in her chair and let her mind wander a bit. Training? What did that even mean? Like…basic self defense? Surely they didn't mean anything like a hero course, right? And how would she even fit that into her schedule? She was busy enough as it was.

Green eyes were staring at her, trying to figure out what she was thinking. She wished she could tell him.

But when those turquoise eyes flashed through her memory once again, Asa found herself saying, "I think it's a good idea."

Her hero let out a relieved sigh. "Okay," he grinned awkwardly. "We, well, we'll have to look at your schedule, but Aizawa-san has volunteered to take you on. He's really the best you could ask for!"

Asa laughed, "Sounds like a lot of pressure already."

Izuku shook his head, "No, it won't be, trust me. He's worked with lots of students— he'll know how to best help you, I'm sure of it! Oh, and another thing— a friend of mine from school is going to be putting some more security on your apartment. You've heard of Hatsume-san, right?"

When Asagao nodded, he continued, "Yeah! She's going to make things a lot safer. I gave her your business card, so she should be contacting you soon about a good time to come by, and—" Izuku stopped suddenly, his eyes flickering down to the table.

The florist's head tilted. "And?" she prompted.

A familiar guilty look surfaced on her boyfriend's face. "I just…" he trailed off. "I hate how dating me has changed your life so much."

Asagao smiled softly. Of course that was still on his mind. It probably would be for some time.

She lifted her hand and put it on the table, palm up invitingly. Green eyes glanced up at her, and after a moment's hesitation, he placed his hand in hers.

"All the changes seem to be worth it to me so far," Asa assured him gently. "So, you should just keep it that way." She added on a wink for good measure, and finally, he cracked a grin.

"I promise I will," he said.

The rest of dinner went smoothly. There was the occasional glimmer of sadness in Izuku's eyes— it was usually remedied by her bumping his foot with hers under the table. But by the time they wound up at her apartment, she could tell that most of his anxiety had melted away. How? Well, the way he dared to trail kisses down to her neck was a pretty obvious sign.

Asa tried to hold in her sighs at his pursuits— when had they gotten tangled up on the couch again? But then his nose brushed against her skin, and for whatever reason, it was ticklish and she burst out laughing. And that's how the couple found themselves laughing to the point of tears, happy and falling in love and the past finally seeming a bit further behind them than it had recently.

Yeah, the beginning of October felt like hitting the restart button. But it also showed them that one, they weren't perfect. And two, they were perfectly okay with that.

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**Some fluff to make up for the angst! Please leave a review! **


	17. Chapter 17

**Me all day today: HURRY AND WRITE THIS THING- but wait, my friends want to do a cosplay photoshoot. Anyways, a little later in the day than usual, but I hope you enjoy!**

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_"Even after their rocky start, sources say that number one pro hero Deku has been spotted several times at the Nakano's Flowers shop."_

Asa hummed lightly to herself, dusting pollen off of the shelves.

_"It hasn't been confirmed yet whether they are officially dating or not, but this photo seems to indicate that they are!"_

Violet eyes glanced over. The florist snorted. Of course— another random picture of her and Izuku holding hands on a sidewalk. Based on his Tentacole hoodie…maybe that had been last week?

_"And here we have a waitress who claims that the two were at the restaurant she works at last week! Tell me, Suzuki-san, what did you see?"_

_"Well, from what I saw, I think they're definitely together! Deku reserved a private room for them, and I only saw them going back there, but—"_

Shaking her head, Asagao pushed the button for her phone to power off. Hana was right— it was pretty entertaining to watch videos where people speculated about her and Izuku's relationship. It seemed to her that it should be pretty obvious they were together, but then again, they hadn't exactly made a public announcement. Would they need to do that at some point? It sounded entirely unnecessary to her, but she did recall several press conferences where pro heroes opened up about their relationship status.

The florist pushed the thoughts away and let her intrigued pout fall into an easy smile. None of what they said or thought mattered. She was happy with Izuku. He was happy (albeit, still anxious) with her. No one needed to know anything else.

The shop bell rang behind her, and Asa whirled around to see the man who'd been running through her mind all day. It only took a few steps forward before she was swept up into strong arms, sweet lips molding desperately against hers.

Izuku kissed her for only a few seconds before he broke it to whine, "I missed you."

Asa snickered, pressing a quick peck to his lips. "I missed you, too, silly."

Her hero sighed and leaned up to bury his nose in her hair. "A whole week without you," he mumbled. "Thought I was going to go crazy."

"Same," she admitted. His embrace tightened slightly, and the florist took a moment to breathe in his addictive cologne. "Mission went well though?"

He nodded, "Yup, just took longer than we thought to wrap everything up. Those poor kids."

Her heart squeezed. He'd kept her up to date as much as he could with random texts here and there. Asagao stepped out of his hold just enough to be able to look up into his eyes.

"They're safe now," she told him. "You saved them. They're going to be okay."

"I know, it's just—" Izuku took in a sharp breath. "Every time I work with kids, it's…it's just harder for some reason."

Asa smiled gently. Getting up on her tiptoes, she pressed a kiss to his cheek. "It's because you have such a big heart," she murmured against his skin.

Izuku's cheeks promptly flushed. "I-I…no, I'm just doing my job! Caring is part of being a hero!"

"Which is why you're the best one," she teased. "Now, what did you bring me?"

Her boyfriend's face lit up, and he bolted out of their hug to grab the bag he had dropped by the door. "Two salads! One had strawberries, and the other had chicken, and I couldn't decide—" Izuku reached in the bag and brought out a brown box, "—and this for afterward! Sliced fruit with cream."

Asagao couldn't help the adoring giggle that came out of her throat. She just… was there a word she could use to describe how she felt about him? Well, yes, there was, but it felt a little too soon for that. So instead she just took the take out boxes and tossed him a grateful smile.

He looked around the shop as she sat down to begin eating. "Anything I can do?"

An undeniably hot feeling rose up in her. 'Bad Asa,' she scolded herself, even though all she wanted to do was ask him to kiss her again but no, that was _obviously_ not what he'd been referring to, but _still_, it was hard to not want more after not seeing him for so long and wait, she hadn't responded—

"You can finish dusting off the shelves for me if you really want to," she shrugged.

Izuku replied by rolling up the sleeves of his sweater and grabbing the duster off the counter. The florist's eyes began trailing along his forearms, and NOPE! Focus on eating, focus on eating, not on him.

Asagao ate her salad with probably more gusto than any normal human, but the delicious flavors her boyfriend had picked seemed to be the only thing that could get her mind off of him (at least temporarily). And besides, she really did have more important things to think about— it was a pretty important night.

October had passed by in a blur of trying desperately to find a time for her to begin training in the midst of catching up on bridal appointments. They were lucky she and Aizawa had finally managed to pin down a time at all, honestly. Asa still felt surprised that the pro hero had dedicated himself to her so quickly. Each time their schedules hadn't lined up, she'd passed along through Izuku that of course she understood his schedule was busy and that they really could find someone else to train her if it was too much. And yet each time, Aizawa insisted that he would make time for her.

"It's how he is," Izuku had told her. "He seems rough on the outside, but he cares a lot about his students, and you're one of them now!"

The florist considered the strange twist her path of life had taken. Here she was, about to have a one-on-one quirk training session with the infamous underground hero. Funny how she'd always just assumed she would never have to use her quirk for anything more than her shop.

"Asagao?"

Violet eyes blinked. "Yeah?"

Her boyfriend was holding up her bag containing a change of clothes. "We need to get going. Are you gonna change here or at U.A.?"

Asa hopped up from the table— she'd finished dinner at some point while her mind wandered— and grabbed the bag. "I'll go ahead and get changed. Be right back!"

When she popped out of the back a few minutes later wearing exercise clothes and a jacket, Izuku was already flicking the lights in the store off. It only took a quick glance around to see that, yes, he had put away everything that needed putting away perfectly, and the shop looked as clean as could be. Honestly, what had her life been before Izuku? Of course she could handle it all on her own, but…she couldn't deny that it was nice having someone alongside her.

One turn of the shop key later, the couple was walking down the street with their hands intertwined. At one point Izuku leaned over randomly to kiss her forehead, and Asa had to hold in a dreamy sigh. It was so nice to be back together after such a busy week.

It was at that moment that something she'd been forgetting to mention came to the forefront of her mind, and the florist jolted. "Oh! I've been meaning to tell you something!"

Her boyfriend tilted his head. "What's that?"

"Well, it's—" Asa stopped herself, feeling a blush rising in her cheeks. Come on, it shouldn't be a weird thing to say, right? "My birthday is coming up."

"Really?!" Izuku gasped. "Why didn't you say anything before? We have to do something to celebrate!"

Any embarrassment that had been creeping in was replaced with warm fuzzies, and a bashful grin came onto her face. "I don't know, it feels like a weird thing to just kinda put out there, and you hadn't asked—"

He shook his head, "I should've. What date is it?"

"November twenty-seventh," she told him. "So we still have plenty of time."

Izuku was shaking his head again, and he used his free hand to grasp at his hair anxiously. "Okay, yeah, that should be enough time to plan something special!"

And again, there was a wave of utter affection crashing over her. Asagao shifted to walk closer to him, snuggling into his side. "I don't want anything big— just time with you, my family, and my friends. People who are important to me."

"Alright," he nodded. "But it'll still be special!"

She let out a giggle, "Of course."

The imposing building that was her boyfriend's alma mater now towered high in the distance. Asa stared it down challengingly as they approached. Each step forward began to feel a little more purposeful, a little more daring. It was time to get focused. This training wasn't just for herself, but for Izuku, as well. Her being able to defend herself would put some of his worries at ease, and ever since he'd started opening up more about his anxiety to her, Asa knew that the last thing she wanted was to worry him all the time. This was for both of them. This was for that "we" word that they'd been tossing around more and more lately.

With this line of thought in mind, the florist walked onto the legendary hero academy's campus without a hint of hesitance.

Izuku lead her to the large gym off to the side of the main campus. It was already dark out, making the yellow glow from the gym windows beam out at them invitingly. And finally, when they stood at the entrance and he opened the door for her, Asagao steeled her nerves once more before she walked in.

Standing in the middle of the empty gym was Eraserhead, hands in the pockets of his hero costume and a bored expression on his face. And next to him was—

"Oh, I didn't know you were going to be here, too, Shinsou!" Asa greeted.

The hero shrugged. "Aizawa thought it'd be a good idea."

"Wait," Izuku said, and Asagao turned to see his confused expression. "Do you two know each other?"

The florist shook her head, then paused. "Well…I mean, no, not really. He was in the shop a few weeks ago," she supplied. She looked back at Shinsou. "The flowers are probably dead by now, right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, haven't had time to get more."

Izuku laughed, "You're becoming more involved in the hero circle every day, Asagao."

"Wonder why," she snorted.

Her boyfriend grinned wryly before he gave his full attention to his former teacher, bowing politely. "Don't push her too much, okay, Aizawa-san?"

"Don't tell me how to do my job, problem child," Eraserhead replied with a roll of his eyes.

Asa fought down a snicker— mostly because she wasn't familiar with Eraserhead yet, and she wasn't quite sure how to act around him. Of course, she'd seen him with his daughter, and everyone talked about how he had a big soft side. But still, she wanted him to take her seriously. She wasn't a hero studies student— far from it— but she was determined to make the time he was spending on her worth it.

Thus, she gave her boyfriend an easy smile. "I'll be fine, Izuku, promise," she said. "Now get going before you're late for your patrol, okay?"

Her hero nodded, then leaned down to press a quick kiss to her cheek. "Let me know you get back home safe. I'll have my phone on me."

"I'll walk her home," Shinsou offered, though it was more of a statement.

Violet eyes blinked in surprise, but Asa found herself smiling. Izuku really did have the nicest friends. "Thanks!"

"Alright, now leave," Eraserhead grumbled. "You'll only distract her."

Izuku gave a slightly guilty grin before he darted full speed out the door, shouting an encouraging "good luck!" as he did.

After Asagao watched the door slam shut behind him, she turned to face her two teachers. Well. Here they were.

"So," she started, clasping her hands together, "Where do we start?"

"We need to get a baseline of your current abilities," Eraserhead replied.

Asa nodded. Right, yeah, that made sense. She put down her purse and shed her jacket, placing them in a neat little pile on the oddly spotless floors. Then again, it was U.A. She shouldn't be surprised at how pristine it was.

The florist stood at attention to show she was ready, and Eraserhead nodded. "Alright. Punch Shinsou as hard as you can."

Violet eyes widened. "E-Excuse me?"

"So that's why I'm here," Shinsou sighed.

Eraserhead merely raised an eyebrow. "I have to get an estimate of your strength. As far as we know, your quirk won't enhance it any. Part of this training will be general fitness, along with learning to utilize your quirk defensively. Your health and your quirk's abilities go hand in hand— they grow stronger together."

Even though she was still in shock, Asa managed to bob her head up and down. She approached Shinsou like a lamb walking up to a lion, swallowing uncomfortably when she was a foot away from him.

Purple eyes that looked much like her own stared down at her calmly. "Go for it," he said. "As hard as you can. I'll know if you hold back."

Any confidence Asa had felt coming into the gym had all but withered away. The only thing she'd ever punched before was her pillow when she was mad…and that one time she punched a wall when she was a kid and broke her hand. This was going to be so embarrassing. Well, better get it over with.

The young woman put herself in what she guessed was a stable position, her feet shoulder width apart and her right foot back a bit. Shinsou lowered his crossed arms to rest at his sides and gave her a look that said "ready when you are."

When she threw the punch at his shoulder, he barely budged.

"That sucked," Asa immediately groaned. And worse, her hand hurt a little.

The corner of the hero's lip twitched up. "I've seen worse."

"Do you exercise regularly, Nakano-san?" Eraserhead questioned. She shook her head, and his eyes seemed to indicate he'd already guessed as much. "We'll need to get you on a schedule, then. Try kicking him."

Asagao stared at him. "Um…is there, like, a certain way, or…?"

Her teacher came over to stand at her side. "From your punch, I'm guessing you're right handed. Mimic what I do— left foot forward, right foot back. Get low…yup, that's it. Then you're going to swing your right foot forward and kick his side—" Eraserhead demonstrated, his clearly powerful kick slicing through the air effortlessly. "—like that. Don't use your knee or shin to make contact, it'll hurt."

Purple eyes met purple eyes once again, and this time, she gave Shinsou an awkward smile. "Sorry you're my punching bag."

"It's okay," he shrugged.

After a deep breath, Asa whipped her leg up and hit his hip. He moved more this time.

Eraserhead nodded. "You have more strength in your legs. We'll use that to our advantage, but you need to start working on upper body strength, too. Think of everyday life as your gym— even keeping up your shop can be a workout if you make it."

Asa grinned. "Got it, I'll stop getting Izuku to move the bags of soil for me."

The florist swore she saw amusement in her teacher's eyes, but he turned away before she could be sure. "Follow me."

She did, as did Shinsou, and Asa soon found herself in a room off to the side. There was a table in the center of the room. On it laid a few flower bulbs, soil, and a potted plant amongst other things she was familiar with. She could figure out pretty quickly why they were there.

"Midoriya-san has already informed me of how you typically use your quirk," Eraserhead said. "And you briefed us on what you did to send out the rescue signal. What else have you tried?"

"Not much," Asagao admitted, wandering over to a bulb and trailing her fingers over it. She could feel it reaching out to her, its voice like a whisper in the wind. "I experimented more when I was a kid, but it was exhausting. Once I figured out the best use for my quirk, I began increasing my numbers. Right now I can hold about five hundred."

Shinsou's head tilted curiously. "How many do you have right now?"

The florist scrunched her eyebrows in thought. "I…hold on, let me see." Closing her eyes, she let herself fall into her secret world. Rows of flowers burst up at her feet, and a quick scan told her the number. "Four hundred and twenty-seven."

When she opened her eyes, both pro heroes were staring at her intently. "What?" she asked.

"Your quirk has a mind space," Eraserhead mused. "Not many do."

"O-Oh," she stammered. "I didn't know."

Shinsou shrugged. "Most people who have 'em don't talk about 'em. It's not surprising you didn't know it's rare."

Asa nodded. "Do both of you have one? Is that why you're familiar with them?"

"Not all quirks dealing with the mind fit into the same box," Eraserhead answered. "While you may think I would, I don't. Shinsou, however, does. Training people with mind spaces has its advantages and disadvantages. I had a suspicion you might have a mind space, which is why I asked him to join us. In some ways, he'll be better at teaching you than me."

Two sets of purple eyes glanced at the pro hero, then at each other. Asa had so many questions on the tip of her tongue, but she held back. Why didn't they teach about this sort of stuff in school? Why was having a mind space so different? How rare was it? Did Izuku have one?

She was snapped out of her thoughts by Eraserhead gesturing to the table and saying, "Show us an example of what you can do."

Asa immediately looked down at the bulb her hand was still resting on. "Well, I could plant this and see how fast I can grow it."

"What about the one already planted?" Shinsou asked.

The florist shook her head. "It doesn't work like that, it's not connected to me."

"Neither were the atoms in the ground you manipulated," Eraserhead pointed out. "See if you can make a connection. Use your mind space as much as you can."

Nervousness knocked on her heart's door, but Asa pushed it aside. She sat down in the chair closest to the potted plant and put her hands around the pot, closing her eyes. No…no that wasn't enough connection. She shifted her fingers to rest on the stems, the branches, the leaves. Only when her hands finally drifted down to the soil did she feel something.

"Hello there," she unknowingly greeted aloud. A ticklish sensation brushed gently against her heart. It was definitely there, trying to reach out to her…did all plants have this, not just the ones she'd planted? Had she been confused all along because she hadn't tried?

Now wasn't the time for questions. She needed to focus. Asagao could already feel her quirk's energy beginning to drain. She reached deeper, further. The flowers at her feet tilted their heads at her curiously. Asa drowned out their voices as much as she could.

"Come on," she murmured. "You're welcome."

The little plant— a hosta, she suddenly realized, strange how she had never familiarized herself with anything other than flowers— came closer. She eyed the empty spots she had open to indicate where the hosta could go. And slowly, ever so slowly, it began to take root.

The sensation of an already growing plant attaching itself to her heart was sharper than a bulb. Asagao didn't realize she was panting until a touch on her arm yanked her out of her mind space and back into the gym.

Eraserhead's dark eyes had a glint of worry to them. He had crouched down to her level and was staring at her calmly. "Are you okay?"

Even though she was breathless, Asa smiled brightly. "I did it! I've never done that before! But it sort of hurt," she admitted. Her hand rubbed over her heart absentmindedly. There was still a sting emanating from it.

The hero's eyes tracked the movement. "Making your quirk stronger and more varied in its uses takes time," he said. "Constantly going overboard doesn't yield the best results. You'll need to be patient with your progress."

The florist nodded. "Yes, sir."

After he nodded back, he got up and motioned for them to go back to the main part of the gym. "I'm going to go get some paperwork. I've got an idea for support equipment you could use."

Violet eyes blinked. Support equipment? Like the kind heroes used? For her?

Eraserhead glanced back at the two young adults. "Give her an introduction to the scarf, Shinsou. It'll be a good basic lesson for what's to come." Before she could ask any questions, the hero was taking off his scarf and tossing it in her direction. Asa caught it just before it hit the ground. And without another word, her new sensei walked out of the gym.

The florist stared down at the scarf in her hands feeling all sorts of feelings because one, this was _the_ Eraserhead's signature weapon and two, how on earth did someone use it anyways? She could tell it was strong based on its weight and the tight metallic weave, but…how did they control it?

"I was confused when I started, too."

Asa looked up to see Shinsou watching her with a knowing gaze.

"It takes a lot of practice," he continued. "I started teaching Eri a while back, and we found that the best way to start is by having fun."

"Fun?" she repeated. It sounded like a strange concept coming from someone so…Shinsou. His laid back, no-nonsense personality was known by everyone in Japan. The idea of him making a lesson fun or even silly was completely unexpected.

Thus, still surprised by his suggestion, Asa watched in silence as he threw his scarf up to the rafters. It looped through a metal pipe elegantly, and she was entirely befuddled when the scarf appeared to secure itself around the pipe.

And then, she realized what it was. It looked like a swing.

"I-I don't think I can throw it that high," she stammered. "And the knots! How did you—"

"Don't worry, I'm just making it easier for you," Shinsou told her. "You're going to attach yours to mine. You'll be low enough to the ground that I can catch you if you fall."

Asagao swallowed nervously before she nodded. "So…how do I…?"

Shinsou stepped forward and took part of her loaned scarf in his hands. It felt like his eyes were digging into her soul when he said, "Mental quirks like ours make it easier, but again, it'll take practice. Think of it like one of your plants— it will respond to you, do what you want it to. For now, your goal is to hook your scarf onto mine."

"And then what?" she questioned.

"And then you swing," he shrugged. "Helps you get over the fear of heights, too, if you have that."

She took in a deep breath. Respond…how did it respond? She knew she could feel something in the cloth. It wasn't like her plants, but it did feel oddly familiar. Asa briefly considered a few knots she knew before she settled on a classic bow. She tied them every day countless times around her bouquets. That should be the easiest.

After staring up at his dangling scarf for a few moments, she said, "Screw it," and tossed hers up as far as she could—

Only for it to fall flat to the ground.

The sound of snickers broke her out of her daze, and Asa whirled around to glare at the source. "Hey, now! You didn't tell me how to do it!"

"Sorry, sorry," Shinsou laughed. "I just wanted to see what would happen. You have to whip it out," he explained, picking up the scarf and handing it over. "Keep the connection as long as possible until you have to let go."

The florist grumbled, "Well that would've been nice to know."

The hero next to her smothered his laughs and nodded his head. "Try again."

She fought the urge to stick her tongue out at him before she turned to focus once again on the scarf above. Asagao shifted the material in her hand. Like a whip, huh? That made sense…the bow idea might not work after all. But individual knots would work…if it even responded to her.

"I won't know until I try," she muttered. She closed her eyes only for a brief moment, the image of a vine coming into her head. And with that picture in mind, she threw one end of the scarf up toward the other.

It approached. She envisioned the vine tying itself together, and— when she reopened her eyes, she let out a laugh upon seeing that it had done what she'd wanted it to.

"Good," Shinsou nodded. "Now for the other end."

Feeling more confident now, Asa repeated the process. She had to try twice, but sure enough, she soon had a swing made out of the most famous underground hero's weapon.

With a flick of his wrist, Shinsou's scarf began to loosen itself to lower hers down within reach. Giddy at having achieved her goal, Asa hopped on and laughed as he commanded the cloth to take her back up again.

The scarf stopped when she was about ten feet up in the air. It reminded her of an amusement ride she went on as a kid. Asagao started pumping her legs, kicking happily as she fell into a steady swinging rhythm.

"Enjoying yourself?" Shinsou called. When she looked down, she could see the amused glimmer in his eyes.

"Yup!" she replied. "I feel bad that I'm having all the fun, though."

The hero shook his head and chuckled. "I'll join another time. You did well for a first lesson. What did you see inside your mind space?"

Asa hummed thoughtfully. "I saw a vine…I don't know why, I've never really worked with anything with vines before."

"But it came to you naturally, didn't it?" She nodded, and he replied, "Trust your instincts. Analogies like that are there for a reason— they connect to you on a personal level."

The florist opened her mouth to reply, but the gym door opened.

"I see you're using your usual tactics," Eraserhead drawled.

"It works," Shinsou shrugged. "She did well." He waved his hand, and Asa tried to not pout as she was lowered to the ground. When her feet landed, she stood up and eyed the papers in Eraserhead's hands.

"You need to sign these," he said. "It gives our support department your consent to the information I've collected about your quirk today, as well as to begin building your equipment. I'll keep you updated on what they come up with."

A few signatures and several thank you's later, Asagao was putting her jacket back on and grabbing her purse. Shinsou walked alongside her with his hands in his pockets, idly checking his phone for messages.

As they made their way through the campus and to the city streets, Asa found that she felt proud of herself. Tired, yes, but confident and feeling more capable. A pair of lovely green eyes popped into her head, and the florist was quick to whip out her phone.

**Asa:** Training was fun— I got to try some new things! I'll be sparring with you before we know it lol

She hadn't even put her phone away for a moment before it buzzed.

**Izuku:** I have no doubt of that ;)

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	18. Chapter 18

**WE HIT 200 REVIEWS YESTERDAY and honestly I'm just like, y'all are crazy? Why is this story becoming popular? Thank you? I'm sorry for the angst I'll be putting you through? Anyways, enjoy the chapter!**

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"So how often does Deku come around?"

Asagao put away a stack of ribbon rolls and shrugged. "Depends on his schedule. You aren't still nervous around him, are you?"

Chiemi shook her head vehemently. "Oh no! I love it when he comes around— uh, I mean, it's just so weird to be around the number one pro hero so much! I have so many questions for him!"

An amused grin stretched across the florist's face. Her new hire had been awkward around her boyfriend from the get-go, but it wasn't like she could blame her. Asa remembered all too clearly how she'd acted for the first few weeks around Izuku.

Holding in a laugh, Asagao motioned for Chiemi to follow her to another area of the greenhouse. "Alright, did you do your homework?"

"Yes!" Chiemi nodded. She pulled a crumpled piece of paper with crude handwriting on it out from her apron pocket. "You can look over my numbers, but I think I got it right."

Asa took the paper and scanned over the notes. Her new employee had gotten most of it right, which was good. "Lillies are watered once a week, not twice," she corrected.

A squeak came out of the younger girl. She snatched the paper back and scribbled down the number. "Right! Sorry!"

"Don't apologize," Asa smiled. "It took me time to memorize the care of each specimen even with my quirk."

A curious look filled the grey eyes across from her. "How so? It seems to me you have a _crazy_ strong quirk— strong enough to get Deku's attention."

Something uncomfortable stirred in the humid greenhouse air between them. Asagao tried to not let her smile fall. This wasn't the first time Chiemi had asked a question about her and Izuku, and…she still didn't know how to feel about it. She supposed it made sense for a fan like her to have questions, but Asa also felt strongly about wanting to keep things between her and her boyfriend as private as possible. It wasn't that she thought Chiemi would go run off to a tabloid gossiping, but…

"Quirks are only part of a person," the florist finally replied, evading the question as best she could.

Chiemi nodded understandingly. "Except for people without quirks, right? Like your brother?"

Asa's breath caught. When had she—? Right, Hiro had been by last week. It must have come up.

"Well— no, it's—" the florist tried to figure out an answer. "If people were only judged on their quirks, then the world would be pretty messed up."

"I think it already is that way," Chiemi shrugged. "That's why we have the ranking system, right? To know who's best?"

Asagao stared at her employee awkwardly.

And then, the girl's smile brightened. "Sorry, I study this stuff in school! I like to talk about it a lot! It's one of the things I want to ask Deku about— what he thinks of the ranking system and all that. People are talking about getting rid of it."

The weird tension that had built up suddenly diffused. "I'd be in favor of that," Asa said. "I think it'd get rid of some of the heroes who are heroes just for the popularity."

"You're lucky you got one of the ones that doesn't care about that," Chiemi sighed.

Beautiful green eyes came to mind, and Asagao grinned. "Yeah, yeah I am. Back to watering schedules?"

The girl snapped back to attention. "Right! I also researched the type of soil we use, and—"

The next hour passed by at a leisurely pace. Asagao wished she'd had time to train Chiemi more beforehand. So far, she'd had the girl manning the cash register and doing small tasks like organizing the shop or cleaning. It was going to be nice to have an extra set of hands around to cover shifts— especially now that she and Eraserhead had established a weekly training session time.

Speaking of which, it was November fifth. Hadn't her sensei told her she would receive her support item by now?

Asagao grabbed her phone from her pocket and immediately smiled.

**Hiro:** Hey! Aizawa-sensei is having me bring your prototype support gear by right now during lunch period!

A glance up at the clock told her he'd probably be there in a couple minutes, given how long ago he'd sent the text.

**Asa:** See you soon!

Just as she'd expected, her little brother bounded his way into her flower shop a few minutes later. He beamed at her more than usual— as was typical when he was in his school uniform. Something about wearing the official UA uniform always made him stand up a little straighter, speak a little more confidently.

Hiro unceremoniously thrust a brown package into her hands, and Asa laughed. "Wanna open it with me? Or do you need to run back to school?"

Brown eyes widened. "I have a few minutes! Let's see what it does!"

The florist turned and made her way into the back, her younger brother hot on her heels. She sat down at her arrangement table, and when she offered him a seat, he just shook his head.

"I'm too excited," he said, bouncing up and down on his heels. "What are you waiting for, nē-chan?"

"Alright, alright," Asagao chuckled. She peeled back the paper and found a note underneath. "_Give it a try and let me know what you think needs fixing_," she read Eraserhead's message aloud.

Hiro squirmed anxiously next to her. "What's it supposed to do?"

Asa put the note to the side and started to tug open the box. "The support department said it would enhance and enlarge whatever plants I— oh _wow!"_

The pair of siblings looked down at her sparkling new support item in awe. It was a gauntlet of sorts, with a piece like a bracelet to snap around her wrist and five similar slots for her fingers branching off from it. When the florist picked it up, she was surprised to find that it was lightweight. The prototype was painted in a mesh of vibrant violet with gold accents. Asa would have to thank her sensei later for the consideration.

"Try it!" Hiro insisted, effectively breaking their trance. "Aizawa-sensei said to!"

The older sister nodded before she slipped it on her hand. As soon as all of the locks were in place, it activated. Hiro and Asa yelped when a bright light began emanating from a previously empty metal circle in her palm.

Hiroyasu's mouth dropped open. "Woah…"

Violet eyes blinked. "Yeah." She turned to look for a test subject. From what she'd learned in the scarf lesson with Shinsou, she knew a plant that had strong vines would be ideal. But seeing as how she didn't keep any of those in stock (Asa made a mental note to change that), she'd have to make do.

The florist got up from her station and headed over to one of her healthiest _asagaos_. While she hadn't felt their usual tender-hearted understanding as much lately, she knew she still had one of the strongest bonds with their species. If there was a plant it would work on, it would be them.

As she approached the plant, Asa called back, "Hiro, did Eraserhead mention anything to you about how it works?"

She glanced back in time to see her brother shake his head. "He said you'd have to figure it out on your own…something about your brain?"

"My mind space," she murmured in realization. Of course it would utilize that. But how did the support department know if it would even—?

"I think you should just go for it."

Hiro was at her side now, smiling encouragingly. She grinned back, only hers had a tinge of sadness.

"Wish you could do it with me," she joked. It didn't come out sounding funny.

Confusion entered brown eyes for only a second before he was saying, "You know I like to experience things through you, nē-chan. You were always my first hero, and now I want to see you try your first support item!"

The twinge of pain that he could never do this, never try anything like this vanished at his kind words. Asa ruffled Hiro's hair briefly, then turned to face the morning glory. She closed her eyes and let herself sink into her mind space. It was there— the flowers at her feet, the pitch black that was always strangely comforting, and the roots flowing up into her heart.

But something was different. Her eyes drifted down to her right hand. The weight of the gauntlet was there, but it itself wasn't. The only thing present was the ball of light in her palm.

It was gentle, hovering there patiently waiting for her command, but powerful. She could feel raw quirk energy radiating from it, threatening to burst out as soon as she said it could.

Asa subconsciously summoned her chosen _asagao_ forward. It placed itself in her left hand, peering up at her curiously.

She petted its petals and whispered, "Hello, little one. I…" Asa hesitated. "I don't think this will hurt you, but if it does, I'm so sorry."

It drooped its head sadly. It was used to pain, as everyone with unrequited love was.

Asagao's heart squeezed, but she held the flower up to the light nonetheless.

"Go."

There was a flash of light, followed by a gasp, and the florist was startled out of her mind space back into reality.

"That was amazing!" Hiro was shouting. "Are you okay?"

Asa groaned. Her butt hurt— had she fallen onto the ground? Violet eyes cracked open, and her jaw dropped.

Standing before her was an absolutely massive morning glory, towering at least five feet tall over her.

The florist swallowed. "I think it's a little too strong."

"Maybe you could ask for a sort of power dial on it?" Hiro suggested as he gave her a hand up.

Asa brushed the soil off of her clothes. "Maybe. Definitely something to mention to Eraserhead. How long did it take to happen?"

Her little brother's eyebrows scrunched up. "What do you mean? You closed your eyes, and boom! There it was."

"Huh," she murmured. "They were right. Quirks with mind spaces really _are_ different."

Now Hiro looked even more confused. "A what?"

Asa shook her head. "Nothing, I'll tell you about it later. Don't you have to get back to school?"

He sighed, "Yeah, I do. My usual lunch buddy is busy today, though, so I won't miss much."

Suddenly, mentions of her brother and a certain hero's adopted daughter popped into her head. "Oh— is it Eri-chan?"

And just like that, Hiroyasu's face turned bright red. "I-I well— no, yes, no! I mean— I'd like, well— oh, crap, look at the time! I gotta go!" Asa watched with wide eyes as he bolted out of the greenhouse door with speed that would've made Izuku envious. "See you later, nē-chan!" he cried.

The shop bell jingling violently signaled his departure, and Asagao shook her head. Yeah, maybe she did need to dig more into what was going on between the two teenagers.

Violet eyes fell down once more to the gauntlet on her hand. It gleamed in the greenhouse lights dangerously, and feeling nervous, Asa slipped it off. A power dial did sound like a good idea, at least while she was getting used to it.

A quick pass through to the front of the shop told her that her next bridal customer hadn't arrived yet, and so, she took out her phone.

**Asa:** Think you can help me with my support item tonight, pro hero boyfriend?

**Izuku:** Ahhhh yes! THAT SOUNDS SO FUN

* * *

"Let me see it, let me see it!"

Asagao threw back her head as she laughed, managing to keep the box just out of her boyfriend's reach (although who was she kidding, he could easily take it from her if he wanted to).

"You're like a kid on Christmas morning," she teased.

"I'm just curious, okay?" Izuku whined. "This is so exciting! I always love studying support items made for mind space quirks!"

Asa blinked up at him. In their little faux-fight for the box, he had wound up hovering over her on the couch. "Wait…how did you know I have a mind space?"

"Oh!" he said. "It was obvious. I knew the first time I met you— you closed your eyes to activate your quirk more before you gave me the flowers."

Her head spun. Sometimes she forgot how smart he was…hold on— "Do you have a mind space, too?"

Izuku nodded. "Yup! It's…it's hard to explain. I don't always need it, but in times where I need more power or to be extra focused it just—" he made an explosion sound, his hands bursting out.

The florist shifted, and her boyfriend followed her lead. In a few moments, they were cuddled up next to each other, her legs draping over his lap.

"What does yours look like?" she questioned. When he hesitated, she was quick to add on, "Unless you don't want to tell me, which is totally okay."

The pro hero gave her a thankful grin. "It's…well, I can't go into all the details, but it's dark, really dark—"

"Mine too!" Asa exclaimed.

Izuku laughed, "I thought I was the one who got excited over quirks?"

She gave him a light shove, "Come on, I'm just now learning about all of this for the first time! What else?"

"There are flashes of light," he continued, green eyes shining brilliantly. "They change colors, one going to another, always growing stronger."

A faraway look entered her boyfriend's eyes, and Asa smiled. She loved watching him talk about things so passionately. Unable to help herself, she leaned over and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

The action took Izuku out of his daze. "What about you?" he asked. "I wanna know as much as you want to share!"

Asagao nodded, looking down at the brown box that still rested in her hands. "It's black, like you said. But it's not scary— it just is. And all of my flowers surround me on the ground, and…"

The vision of her own hands ripping hundreds of flowers out of her chest flashed through her mind.

"Asagao?"

Violet eyes snapped to green. Her boyfriend frowned. "You okay?"

She took in a shaky breath. "I-It's…all the flowers, their roots go up into my heart, like— kinda like they're plugged into the power source. They…they die if they're taken out."

Understanding dawned on Izuku's face. "So when you were captured, you…?"

Asa swallowed. "Yeah."

A reverent silence took ahold of the couple for a few moments. Eventually, Asa felt her boyfriend move a bit, and soon he was just an inch away from her face. His gaze flickered downward. She nodded her assent.

Gentle lips met hers, sweetly massaging the thoughts of the past away. Asa's hands got lost in his hair, and she greedily tugged on soft curls in a silent request to not stop— at least not for a good while.

He let out a small sigh in agreement. Strong hands brought her closer, and the woman found herself straddling his hips. Had it not been for the conversation they'd just had, she was sure their position would cause certain…things to happen.

And yet somehow, this moment still felt incredibly intimate. It was soft and slow, no rush or desperation. It was comforting, she realized. It was a hug on a bad day, a whisper of encouragement when you wanted to give up.

They'd had a few heated moments in their relationship, sure— times where Asa felt like throwing decency out the window because she had no idea that his lips on her neck could feel so good. But this was different. This was Izuku saying "I'm here, you're not alone, not anymore."

When they parted several minutes later, her boyfriend leaned up and kissed her forehead. "Support item test, then movie?" he suggested.

Asa hummed, "Yes, please." She caught sight of his face turning slightly pink when she moved off of him. Something about that bashful expression made her want to hop back on and change the mood, but she knew he was excited to see her prototype.

Thus, she finally unveiled the gauntlet and giggled at her boyfriend's wide-eyed stare as she slipped it onto her fingers. When the locks were secured and the center lit up, Izuku's green eyes glowed in its light.

"Wow," he breathed. "It's perfect! Y-You, it looks, well—"

Asagao flexed her hand experimentally. "Yes?" she asked slyly.

He swallowed. "It makes you more attractive, and I didn't think that was possible."

The florist burst out laughing, falling back onto the couch. "You're such a geek," she giggled. "Only you would say something like that."

He rolled his eyes (she'd rubbed off on him, clearly). "I know you like my hero suit. It's the same thing."

"Mmhm," she snickered, sitting up straight again. "Sure. Get me a plant, please?"

Nodding, Izuku got up from the couch and wandered over to one of her house plants on the kitchen counter. It was a good thing there wasn't a great distance between the two spaces, otherwise Asa would've complained about the sudden lack of heat next to her.

When he set the plant down in her lap, he looked at her worriedly. "You're all fueled up?"

"Yup."

"Want me to have something to munch on nearby?"

"Nope, I'll be good, but thank you," she grinned. She loved how much he always made sure to look after her. "It didn't take up too much of my energy when I tested it earlier, but that was on a plant that was connected to me."

"And this one isn't, right?" he asked.

"Right." Asa took in a calming breath. "I think it'll work. I was able to connect to something that wasn't mine last week at training."

"Yeah, you told me."

The young woman picked up on the anxious tone in her boyfriend's voice almost immediately. She leaned over and pressed a kiss to his nose. Izuku cracked a grin.

And with him smiling again, violet eyes closed.

As Asa went about the new process of integrating a foreign plant into her batch, she vaguely wondered how much time had passed. Based on what Hiro said, time clearly worked differently here. Was there some way she could figure out how to measure it? She should've looked at a clock before she entered.

It was evident it took a little longer than her earlier test had by the way Izuku was watching her nervously when her eyes opened.

"You were in for about a minute," he said. "You feel okay?"

She nodded. "Yeah, I'm good. Now I just need to try to make it bigger." With a wave of her hand, her boyfriend followed her over to a semi-empty spot in the middle of her kitchen. She sat down on the floor next to the plant, and while Izuku looked confused, he didn't say anything.

Back into the mind space she went, coaxing the light, bringing it nearer to the plant, and— BOOM!

"It worked!" Izuku was laughing happily when Asa came back to reality. In a heartbeat, he was crouching over her. "I could _feel_ it! Your energy! It nearly blew me back a bit, I was so surprised!"

Asa grinned up at him. Her quirk did feel a little lower now, but still good. "It knocked me down earlier," she told him as he helped her up. "That's why I sat down."

He nodded. "It definitely seems too strong, just like you said in your text. You'll be able to handle it with time, but support items are supposed to help you, not hurt you."

With her little demonstration done, the florist slipped the gauntlet off and handed it over. She watched with amused eyes as he turned it over in his hands, eyes roaming over every detail of the equipment. Why did she want to kiss him right now? Maybe everything he did made her want to kiss him? Who knew.

"I'll send you Aizawa-san's number so you can text him about what happened," Izuku said when he gave it back to her. "It'll be easier to contact him that way, anyways."

After she'd stored the support item away in its box, the couple situated themselves back on the couch. They cuddled together under Asa's favorite fuzzy pink blanket, and once they'd browsed their options, the two relaxed into one another as one of Izuku's favorite movies about a spider hero played on the screen.

"This is one of the newer ones," he told her as the opening credits played. "It has multiple spider-people."

Asa hummed. She'd never really been into hero movies (they tended to make Hiroyasu sad when he was younger), but Izuku had been slowly introducing her to his favorites, and she had to admit that she found them interesting. It was fun to watch these movies with Izuku— he would always lean over and whisper fun facts in her ear, tell her how the actors pulled off some of the stunts, or how that one guy was actually quirkless, but that made it even cooler that he was cast as the lead.

With all of this in mind, Asagao felt a familiar rush of adoration flood her body. It happened frequently these days, and she never quite knew what to say. But perhaps because of the cozy atmosphere tonight and how sweet he'd been earlier, Asa nuzzled her nose into his neck and whispered, "You're adorable. I'm so glad I have you."

Her boyfriend sighed happily. Asa felt a gentle kiss press into the top of her head. "I'm glad I have you too, Asagao. I lo— ah, uh, um, I mean—"

Asa shot up from his hold immediately. Not because she was shocked— those words had been on the tip of her tongue lately, too— but because he was stammering and waving his hands around, and she could tell he was freaking out.

"Izuku," she said firmly.

He stilled just long enough for terrified green eyes to meet hers. "Y-Yes?"

Her hands reached up to cup his face, and Asa leaned in to set her forehead against his. "It's okay," she whispered. "I know you care about me. If you're not ready to say it yet, it's fine."

Frantic breathing began to slow down. Strong arms encircled her waist, needing an anchor. "R-Right," he replied, swallowing nervously. "You, I, we— ugh, I like you a _lot,"_ he moaned.

"I like you a lot, too," Asa giggled. "So relax, okay?"

"Okay," he nodded. "Can I—? I'm sorry, I feel so stupid, I—"

Asa pressed her lips to his, shutting him up effectively. Maybe actions would speak louder than words. She kissed him fully, deeply, trying to make him realize that it really was okay and that she was fine with things being slow because at the end of the day, she could tell how he felt about her, and that's what mattered.

"Mmphf, movie—" he mumbled against her lips.

She cracked a grin and pulled back, one eyebrow raised. "Wow, fine, no more kisses for you, sir."

Izuku grinned sheepishly. "I just don't want you to miss the good parts," he replied, cheeks flushing.

Asa smiled, mischief glinting in her eyes. "I thought we _were_ getting to the good part."

It took a moment for the innuendo to click, but when it did, his face turned bright red and Asagao burst out laughing.

"Asaaaaaagaoooooo," he groaned from where his face was hidden behind his hands. "I— you— you _flirt_, and then I want to kiss you _more."_

"Ah, yes, and how horrible that would be," she teased.

Asa had no time to prepare for what happened next. All she saw was a flash of green eyes before she was on her back on the couch, hot lips against hers and firm hands on her hips. He began nibbling on her bottom lip, sweeping his tongue over it afterward to sooth the bites.

Unbeknownst to her, she let out a groan, and just like that— Izuku had popped back up on the couch, sitting and staring at the tv like nothing had happened.

Violet eyes blinked. "You—"

"Two can play this game," he replied in a far too innocent tone.

A second later, Izuku's head was whacked with a pillow, but he didn't budge.

Grumbling, because great, now she _really_ wanted to forget about the movie, Asa moved back to lean into her boyfriend's side. A warm arm wrapped around her waist. She breathed in his cologne and felt a wave of sleepiness wash over her. Maybe her quirk was more worn out than she'd realized.

"Hey, Asagao?"

Asa opened her eyes slowly. When had they closed? "Yeah?"

"I've been thinking some more about what to do for your birthday," Izuku continued softly. "I have a few ideas, but what do you want? Anything specific?"

The young woman shook her head, nuzzling deeper into the utter comfort that was the hero next to her. She yawned, "Surprise me."

There was a kiss on her head, and just like that, she was out like a light.

* * *

**Leave a review and give me your guesses on what's going to happen in the plot next! **


	19. Chapter 19

**Shoutout to Trick Sterling for having the funniest review last week where they said "is it weird that whenever I think of Asagao's support item, I call it the Infini-Tree Gauntlet?" That genuinely made me laugh out loud. Enjoy!**

* * *

There was a reason being a pro hero was a full time job, and Asagao realized that as her scheduled slowly filled up more and more to the point where she didn't know when she had the time to breathe.

And no, she wasn't trying to become a hero, but Aizawa sure was treating her like she was. They'd upped the amount of training sessions per week— one just wasn't going to cut it. Asa sometimes found herself looking back on the days before Izuku entered her life and laughed at how she used to think she knew what "busy" was.

It was only the second week of November, and honestly, her birthday felt so far away. Every day stretched longer than usual, each moment taken up by some must-do task, her thoughts scattered and flurried.

And yet in all of the chaos, Asagao found that she was happy. She liked that she was becoming stronger, getting better, feeling more confident with each lesson.

The only thing she missed was her boyfriend.

Asa let out a small sigh and rested her chin in her hands on the shop counter. Their schedules hardly matched up at all. The florist often found herself drifting back to the memory of her waking up in Izuku's arms a week and a half ago. It was midnight, and he was gently shaking her awake. She could recall a warm chuckle, then being picked up and tucked in bed.

The next morning, she'd awoken to an adorable note on her bedside table signed with a heart doodle. They'd only seen each other once since then, and that had been a quick drop by visit that was cut even shorter by a villain alert. Izuku had barely had time to press an all too quick kiss to her lips before he dashed off.

She shook her head when she felt the familiar sensation of arousal begin to tingle through her body. They had decided early on that they would take things slow. Izuku was still anxious (not that she viewed it as an issue— it's just how he was), and she didn't want them to move any faster than he was comfortable with.

But then sometimes there would be this look in his eyes, this heat that she wanted to beg to grow into an all-consuming fire that would finally let them get carried away and—

"I see you've made some changes."

Violet eyes snapped up to connect with similar ones. Shinsou examined the new potted pothos plants she had in the corner. Thanks to a little bit of encouragement from her quirk, they were already sprouting long, healthy vines.

Asagao nodded. "I have them at home and at Izuku's place, too."

The pro hero seemed pleased with this information. "Good. I have your upgraded support item."

The florist finally noticed the package in his hands. Grinning, she came around the counter and snatched it from him. He lifted a thin eyebrow. Asa looked only somewhat apologetic before she ripped the box open.

"Much better," she sighed when she saw the power dial on the side of the wrist. The paint job had also been changed— it was now a sleek matte gold. Much less flashy than the first version.

"We'll test it at our training session tonight," Shinsou said, regaining her attention. "Aizawa got called out for a mission, so it'll just be us if that's okay with you."

Asa bobbed her head. "I'm looking forward to it! Especially now that I don't think I'll get blasted back by the gauntlet every time," she laughed.

A hint of a smile was on his face. Asagao always considered that a success.

But before his expression turned too cheery, Shinsou's gaze shifted to look around the shop. "Might as well get something for Eri while I'm here. You still have what I got last time?"

"Yup!" she replied. "I'll go put it together for you. Want anything else?"

He shook his head, and Asa stashed her support item away under the counter before she went back into the greenhouse. She was on the path toward the roses when her phone dinged in her pocket. She checked it— and smiled at first.

**Izuku:** I'll be getting off work early tonight! :D Random shift change to let some newbies get more experience. Do you want to do anything?

Her smile fell.

**Asa:** I wish I was free— I have training tonight. You could come along! It'll be fun!

She began picking out peach roses, and when the next text came in, it felt a little bit like the prick of the thorns in her hands.

**Izuku:** I don't want to distract you :( How about I come walk you home afterward?

A grin tentatively reappeared on her face. Asa knew he was right. If her boyfriend was there, she wouldn't be able to take her eyes off him. And even though it wouldn't be as much time as she'd like, a walk home with him in the cool November evening sounded just perfect.

She sent a text replying with what time he should get to the gym, then headed toward the carnations.

* * *

"Did Eri-chan like the flowers?"

"She always does," Shinsou hummed. "Is your quirk fueled up?"

Asa's fingers fidgeted restlessly in the wrappings the hero had put around her hands. Given most of her power was now being channeled through her hands via the gauntlet, keeping them safe was a top priority. She settled back into the defensive position Aizawa had taught her. "Yup."

Shinsou nodded. "Good. We'll begin with basic combat, just like last time. Don't pull any punches."

"Got it."

The two walked further apart to create some distance between them. They bowed respectfully, which was something Aizawa always suggested. It was a way of recognizing each other as equal opponents— and served as a sort of preemptive apology if either of them hurt the other.

Once they had risen, the pair grounded themselves in similar ready stances. Shinsou nodded. They rushed forward with fervor.

Asagao was already closing her eyes, calling upon the vines from the plants they'd placed in her vicinity. Violet eyes burst open, ready to strike, when—

"Midoriya doesn't deserve to be the number one hero, does he?"

The florist nearly tripped over her feet. "Excuse m—?"

And then she was stuck.

It was a weird feeling, almost like she was frozen in time. Shinsou's eyes weren't cruel as he approached her, but they were still hardened. It was a look she'd come to recognize a lot lately. He always had it whenever he was about to tell her some sort of reality she didn't want to face.

And thus, he did. "Villains will say anything to get under your skin, to throw you off. You have to remain focused. The moment they see they got a rise out of you, they'll only continue."

He released her from his spell, and Asa immediately nodded seriously. "You're right. I…I sort of have a temper," she admitted. "I picked it up defending Hiroyasu for all those years."

Shinsou's purple eyes softened only slightly. "Then we'll work on self control, too. I've trained several people on interrogation survival tactics. Given what already happened to you, it'd be good for us to add that to your skillset."

A bolt of anxiety flitted through her chest. She covered it up by asking, "Are there others out there whose mind control quirks work like yours?"

"Not sure," he shrugged. "People with quirks like mine tend to stay out of the limelight. Everyone is always suspicious of us. Drawing unnecessary attention can be dangerous."

Asa frowned at that. "Every quirk can be good or bad— it just depends on how you use them."

He seemed to recognize her attempt to comfort him, but he shook his head. "I highly doubt yours could be used for evil. Come on— let's get back to work. I won't use my quirk on you again, but try to resist replying to what I say, alright?"

* * *

Izuku Midoriya was all smiles when he made his way to the UA gym. He'd been missing Asagao so much lately, and he was hoping she wouldn't be too worn out from her training session. He didn't want much— just to cuddle and maybe share a few kisses in the peace and comfort of her apartment. Not seeing her as much lately made him value what little time they did get. That, and, well, it made him realize that he had this sort of Asagao-meter in his head that sometimes just really needed refilling (such as right now).

It was strange to think back to before they met. Being the heart-on-his-sleeve guy he was, Izuku often found himself slowly getting down about the state of the world. It was hard not to when he was fighting on the frontlines every day, seeing both the best and worst of people.

He guessed he used to hang out with his friends to get him out of his funk. That would usually work well— a game night where they all gathered around and were finally able to catch up. But those were few and far between. They were all pro heroes, after all. Free time to hang out with friends was a luxury they weren't accustomed to receiving.

The hero pondered when the Asagao-meter had become installed in his head. Maybe after their first date? No, it felt like it was before that. Going to her flower shop had become a motivation to get through the weeks very early on. Back then his craving could be satisfied by a few minutes of random conversation while she got his flowers. Now…now he felt like he could spend an entire day with her and still want more.

Sighing wistfully, Izuku looked up at the gym before him. Tonight wouldn't be enough to fill him up, but he would make it work. He didn't want to be needy. And yes, maybe that was his anxiety eating at him because every time he'd confessed he missed her a lot and was more snuggly than usual, Asagao had been nothing but understanding (if not a little amused before she reciprocated his affections…oh man, his affections, if only he could get over his fear of the word he really wanted to use).

But here he was wasting time by getting caught up in his thoughts about her! Shaking his head, Izuku pushed the gym door open.

The sight in front of him was beautiful. Asagao's face was contorted in determination, her eyes closed and the gauntlet on her wrist beaming as she fought off attacks from Shinsou's binding cloth with vines. Izuku's heart swelled. The way she was moving…it was as though she was dancing. He could see the beads of sweat dripping down her face, could hear her panting as she furrowed her brows and concentrated more when Shinsou's attacks increased, and yet she was smiling— smiling so brightly that Izuku unknowingly put a hand to his heart and sighed.

Shinsou's eyes flickered to him, and Izuku gave a wave. The other hero nodded back.

"Alright," he said, drawing his weapon in. "We're done for tonight. Sound good with you?"

Gorgeous violet eyes blinked open, and Asagao was still grinning. "Yeah! I—"

And then she froze.

Izuku shook his head, chuckling. He shouldn't be surprised by Shinsou's tactics.

Said underground hero was now walking up to the florist, studying her blank gaze. "Never let your guard down," he told her. "The moment you do, you're vulnerable. People will always take advantage of that."

'He has a point,' Izuku thought, crossing his arms. He waited for his friend to release Asagao from his quirk, but…he didn't. Green eyebrows furrowed.

The two were having a silent stare-off.

Purple met purple, unwavering. Izuku tilted his head. What were they doing? Something with their quirks? He swore he saw one of Asagao's fingers move, and his eyes widened.

'No…don't tell me…she's trying to fight him off?!' Izuku realized.

And she really was. She was sweating more now, even though she was stock still. Izuku noticed belatedly that her gauntlet was glowing again, slowly growing in intensity. Shinsou's teeth were gritted, but the light had reached a point where it was blinding.

The number one pro hero eventually had to shut his eyes, and when they reopened, he found the two on the training room floor. Both looked exhausted— and surprised. But his girlfriend wasn't done. She powered up the gauntlet once more, whipped her hand out, and commanded her vines to wrap around Shinsou.

He was trapped. She'd won.

The deafening silence in the gym was broken by Izuku clapping, and two pairs of purple eyes snapped to him.

"That was amazing, Asagao!" he cried, rushing forward. His girlfriend looked dazed from the sheer amount of quirk energy she'd just exerted, but her smile grew when she saw him all the same. He gave her a hand up from the ground, then turned to look at Shinsou. "Did you have a long day? I know it usually takes a lot more than that to take you down—" he squeezed his girlfriend's hand, "—no offense to you."

"None taken," she shrugged. "We've been going pretty hard for a while now. I think the only reason I won is because I turned the power dial all the way up."

Green eyebrows scrunched. "When did you do that? I watched the last few minutes. You never reached for the gauntlet."

Asagao tilted her head. "Really?" she asked. When he nodded, she murmured, "It must have been in my mind space. I saw it clear as day. It was hard with his mind control, though."

The gears in Izuku's head began spinning even faster than usual. Either Asagao's quirk was stronger than they'd realized, or Shinsou was having an off day. He could remember what he'd had to do to break Shinsou's mind control in the past, and he knew the other hero's quirk had only gotten stronger over the years. So…how did Asagao manage to break out so easily? It didn't make any sense.

Finally, Shinsou spoke up. "I'm fine. She's just a fast learner." He rose from his position on the floor, tossing off the vines. They hadn't been tight on him by any means, but Izuku still saw it as a good start. It showed she had smart instincts.

"Must be some training," Izuku joked. "I think you and Aizawa-san are accidentally creating a pro hero."

A light squeeze on his hand drew his attention, and he looked over to see his girlfriend laughing. "You know that's the last thing I want. I think I just got lucky this time."

Shinsou cleared his throat. "Luck won't always be something you can count on, though."

"He does this a lot," Asagao replied with a roll of her eyes. "I think he got the random-serious-bits-of-knowledge thing from Aizawa-sensei."

Inwardly, Izuku raised an eyebrow. Luck? Was he serious? Shinsou's quirk was known for being formidable, practically unstoppable. Chalking up a brand new trainee's defeat of a pro hero to luck felt…weird.

But the number one pro hero didn't express any of these thoughts. Instead, he just nodded, and gave a short, "Right."

Something awkward filled the air between the three. It lasted for only a moment before Shinsou was turning to go to the locker room. "I'm gonna get changed. We'll look at a good extra meeting time for next week when I get back."

Once the other hero was gone, Izuku repeated, "Extra meeting time?"

Asagao nodded as she pulled him over to a bench. "Yeah, I still have a lot to work on." She motioned for them to sit down, then held up her hands in front of him. "Unwrap them, please?"

The uncomfortable feeling that had been growing in his chest melted away. Asagao with her hands wrapped like a boxer in the ring was undeniably cute. "Of course!"

As he began to pull the wrappings loose, she sighed, "Thanks, they're starting to drive me crazy. I had no idea how to do it, so Shinsou had to do it for me, and I think he put them on a little too tight."

…and now the bad feeling was back again. Why? What was this? It felt all squirmy and acidic and frustrating, and Izuku didn't like it one bit. But the idea of someone else holding her delicate hands, carefully wrapping them to make sure she didn't get hurt…it wasn't sitting well with him.

Asagao's hands were soon loose, and after she stretched them out a bit, she tossed him a grateful look. "Thank you," she said, then leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his cheek. The weird feeling lessened a bit.

Shinsou reappeared from the locker room dressed in civilian clothes. He had his phone out and was scrolling through something. When he got close enough, he asked, "What does next Tuesday after work look like for you?"

Yeah, yeah nope, that feeling is still there. Izuku felt his heart twitch and tighten strangely. How come Shinsou was able to just ask when she was free? Why was he so lucky to be able to do that? And why did it seem like maybe Asagao would say yes and then that would be another potential night they couldn't see each other and it was stupid because she was taking this lessons because she was dating _him_ in the first place, but now it felt like they were taking time away from their relationship and—

"I'll get back to you after both of us check our work schedules."

Green eyes blinked. Asagao grinned.

"We missed out on time together tonight," she explained. "So I want to take that into consideration moving forward."

And suddenly, Izuku's heart was swelling. Stupid anxious thoughts— why had he ever doubted her? Her commitment to coming here tonight instead of being with him…he could work it all out in his head logically enough. Asagao was a person who kept her promises, after all. And now that it had happened once, she was putting in the effort to make sure they would be able to see each other more, and while the last thing he wanted to do was be greedy, Izuku couldn't deny that it felt so wonderful to be dating someone so considerate.

Yeah, those silly feelings in his chest were just that: silly. They didn't need to come back. And if they did, he'd be able to get them better under control than this time.

Or at least, that's what he hoped.

* * *

Shinsou stared up at the starry sky, deep in thought. He'd closed down the gym, turned off the lights, and made sure the doors were locked to prevent some crazy students from deciding to have a midnight melee. The couple was out of sight by the time he exited, and for that he was grateful.

He sighed softly through his nose. Her mind space had been beautiful. Shinsou had decided long ago to not tell people with mind spaces that he could see theirs once he activated his quirk. It felt like an invasion of privacy— not to mention his quirk already scared most people, anyways.

But as soon as he'd come in contact with that secret world of warmth and kindness, he'd felt flustered. It had been…wonderful to be oh so briefly wrapped up in those sensations. Shinsou wondered if she had any idea how much power she emitted. It wasn't power in the way most would see it, no. It wasn't brute strength or crushing determination. It was just a simple glow of empathy, one that constantly grew stronger and stronger until it was so all-consuming that he felt like he would explode.

And then she'd beaten him. Just because he was caught off guard.

His hands twitched uncomfortably in his pockets. He knew he shouldn't be having these thoughts. He was a professional. His job was to teach her to defend herself. They weren't friends or anything more. He was there to help her, guide her, and make her grow. And oh how he couldn't wait to see what she would become.

Shinsou shook his head. He needed a distraction.

Not a moment later, one came. His phone pinged in his pocket, and he took it out to see a text.

**Kaminari:** Dude I haven't seen you in aaaaageeesssss come overrrrrrrrrrrr

The underground hero snorted, but still replied.

**Shinsou:** I'll be there in fifteen

* * *

Asa snuggled into her boyfriend's side and sighed happily. It was already late, but she willed time to slow down— at least in her mind.

Warm, strong arms were wrapped around her waist. They pulled her into her boyfriend's lap, where she immediately became comfortable and nuzzled her cheek into his chest.

"I've missed you lately," she yawned. "M'sorry about tonight."

"It's okay," Izuku murmured. She felt a kiss on the top of her head. "I love watching you get stronger every day."

"Getting stronger is tiring," Asa muttered.

A warm chuckle sounded in her ears. "It is. I remember how exhausted I used to be after lessons at UA."

The florist hummed in response. She knew she was falling asleep already. She knew she should probably do the responsible thing and tell him so he could go ahead and leave respectfully, but…

"Can you stay?"

If she was more awake, then she would've noticed how her boyfriend tensed. "I-I, uh…I have an early shift tomorrow, and I— I don't, um, well I wouldn't want to wake you up, and—"

"I don't mind," she mumbled. She tightened her hold on his waist, breathing in his cologne and feeling herself drift off even more.

"A-Asagao, it's, you— I don't want to do anything improper—"

Sleepy violet eyes finally looked up. Her boyfriend looked like he was torn between panic and wistfulness. She lifted a hand to cup his cheek.

"Nothing like that," she assured him. "I just want you nearby." When he still hesitated, she pecked his lips. "You don't have to. I'll understand. No rush."

"No!" Izuku blurted. "I just— um, sorry, it's not that I don't want to, I just hadn't thought of— I'm not really prepared, but— ugh," he groaned. He ducked his head to hide it in her shoulder, and she giggled.

"I'm serious, Izuku. If it's too fast, it's fine."

"I know."

The couple cuddled in silence for a few minutes. Asa could sense he was thinking things over, so she just stroked his hair as he deliberated. It probably would have been better to discuss this further in advance, but her exhausted mind didn't have much of a filter.

He shifted beneath her. Green eyes lifted to meet hers, and before she could ask what he'd decided, gentle lips were on hers. Asagao sank into the kiss without hesitation. Izuku slanted his lips and dared to deepen his pursuits. Asa hummed, he sighed, and the couple let themselves get carried away in a few minutes of bliss before they broke off.

"What do you need to do to get ready for bed?" he asked.

Asa snorted, a little more awake now than she had been a while ago. "Shower. I feel so gross."

Izuku laughed, "You don't smell too bad to me, but okay. I'll, um…wait here then?"

The florist nodded, then gave him a chaste kiss before she untangled herself. Warm fuzzies mixed with undeniable desire as Asagao went to her room to get her pajamas, and she loved it. She loved that she was so ridiculously attracted to him, but that it also went deeper than that. She loved that she was about to spend the night next to someone who made her feel so safe and happy, and the fact that it wouldn't go any further than that didn't upset her in the least. This was a step forward, and she was going to treasure every moment of it.

Asa wasn't one for long showers. That fact was especially true when she knew she had her boyfriend waiting for her. She had given him a spare toothbrush and some toothpaste so he could brush his teeth in the kitchen, so when she emerged from the bathroom with wet hair and cozy pajamas, a little thrill went through her at the thought of kissing him with freshly minty breath.

He wasn't in the living room, so she went to the bedroom. He was seated atop her bed scrolling through his phone. Most of his clothes were folded neatly on her dresser, leaving him in boxers and a plain undershirt.

When she entered, he immediately looked up and smiled softly. "I've never seen your hair wet before."

"Sorry if it's cold," she apologized as she climbed in under the covers. He followed suit, and she realized she was lucky she had a queen sized bed.

Green eyes sparkled at her brilliantly in the moonlight shining through her window. "I'll be alright."

The two stared at each other from where their heads laid on their pillows. After a minute had passed, they simultaneously cracked grins and let out a giggle.

Shaking his head, Izuku leaned over and kissed her forehead. "Goodnight, Asagao. I'll try to not wake you when I get up."

Asa yawned, shifting closer so she was snuggled into his side. Their legs intertwined, her arm draped over his chest, and she could hear his heart beating against her ear.

"It's okay if you do," she murmured. "Sleep well, Izuku."

"You too."

* * *

**Please leave a review! Also feel free to ask any questions (but know that some of them, I may not answer so I don't spoil the plot). **


	20. Chapter 20

**So I did get some questions in the reviews that I can't answer because SPOILERS! But the one that I do want to answer is this: Hiro is not going to be the next user of One for All. Part of what makes me love Hiro is that he's quirkless, and he's gone on such a big journey to accept that and be okay with it. I don't want to give him a quirk to "fix" him or anything, because he's lovely just the way he is!**

**That being said, ENJOY! **

* * *

"I'm _dying!_"

"You're being dramatic, that's what."

Hiroyasu let out his fifth pained groan of the evening, and his older sister snickered. Upon hearing her amusement, his steps turned more into stomps. Asa rolled her eyes and elbowed him lightly.

"You could actually talk about things instead of just saying vague existential statements," she suggested.

Her little brother cast her a glare, the kind where the heat intended by it was cooled by pure exhaustion and desperation. "It's _exams_, nē-chan. What else can I say about them? I'm freaking out."

Asagao hummed, "Good point. No talking about it for now, then. Did you see the new Pixar movie trailer?"

Instantly, Hiro's slumped shoulders lost a bit of their tension. "The animation was beautiful and worthy of every award in the universe," he whispered reverently.

The florist smiled, and the rest of their chilly November walk was filled with him rambling about the backstory behind the new soon-to-be classic and her nodding and giving her opinion as necessary. Even though she was tired after a long day at work (where she may or may not have been using her gauntlet for practice), Asagao was glad they were doing this. Her and Hiro's age difference had naturally made them distant for a long time, and it meant the world to her that he'd reached out to her.

Apparently, U.A. exams were hell no matter what course you were in. This wasn't surprising in the slightest to Asa. Exams had come up during warm ups in her last session with Shinsou— Aizawa-sensei was recruiting him and a few other graduates to test the hero course students. The excited gleam in the mind controller's eyes had been funny from her perspective, but she could only imagine how terrifying it would be for a first year.

Thinking back to just a few days ago brought up a different memory all together, and Asagao found herself fighting off a dopey grin. She'd been awoken around five in the morning by a gentle kiss being placed on her forehead. In her sleepy haze, she'd mumbled out half-spoken wishes for her boyfriend to stay. Izuku had just smiled softly and tucked her back in bed. A note telling her that she talked in her sleep and that it was very adorable was on her bedside table when she woke up again.

"Aaaaaasaaaaa-saaaaamaaaaaaa, we're heeeeere!"

The florist snapped back to reality and shook her head, laughing. "Sorry, spaced out."

Hiro let out the Nakano-family snort, but didn't comment any further. The pair of siblings hustled into the cafe and sighed happily at the immediate warmth that greeted them. The shop was filled with Christmas lights and decorations of red, green, and gold, and even though Asa felt it was a bit early to start celebrating, it did make the atmosphere quite cozy.

"Have I mentioned you're the best sister I've ever had, nē-chan?"

"I'm the only sister you've ever had."

"Exactly!"

Asa laughed and pushed him toward an empty table. "Come on, I wanna find the weirdest thing on the menu and dare you to get it."

The particular place they'd gone to was known for having, um…out of the box drink options. It was popular because of the tourism draw and the instagram-able content, but locals knew that it was still by far the best place to come for plain hot cocoa. And seeing as how hot cocoa was Hiroyasu's favorite, it seemed an appropriate destination for him to escape the stress of school for a while.

Even though she'd joked about getting him something out of the ordinary, the two wound up ordering the closest thing they could to what their mom made— hot cocoa with a little bit of vanilla and cinnamon. And marshmallows on top. They both specifically asked for extra marshmallows.

As the waiter walked away after taking their order, Asa said, "Our teeth are gonna rot."

Hiro grinned. "It'll be worth it. How's your magic glove working?" After a quick glance around, Asa slowly lifted her hand from under the table to show him a glimpse of sleek gold on her wrist. He gaped at her. "You—! Wait, are you even allowed to have that on out in public?"

"No one needs to know," she whispered ominously. The grin that appeared on his face reminded her of when they were kids, sneaking around the house with their silly little flower code and speaking in hushed tones.

Now Hiro was the one scoping out the scene, and once he was convinced no one was looking, he surreptitiously darted his eyes back and forth from the mistletoe plant on their table and his sister. Violet eyes glimmered mischievously. Message received.

With her little brother acting as her lookout, Asa made quick work of pressing her support-item-enhanced hand to the festive pot. She's barely had her eyes closed for a second when there was a gasp, and then the sound of Hiro clapping excitedly.

"I'll never get over that!" he exclaimed.

Asagao laughed at the same time the cafe door opened. The jingle bells tied to the doorknob rang out noisily, and the two siblings looked over just because.

They had quite different reactions to the people they saw.

The sister's eyes lit up, and she waved for them to come over. The brother's eyes, on the other hand, grew wide— then immediately went down to stare at the floor that was suddenly very very fascinating.

As soon as the pair had reached their table, purple eyes flicked down toward Asa's hand. "Getting in practice time, I see."

The florist was quick to hide her hand and grin guiltily. "Possibly. Are you two meeting anyone here?"

"Nope," Shinsou shook his head. "It's just us. Eri's been begging me for a peppermint mocha."

Said teenage girl lifted a white eyebrow. "And you wanted to come because they can make the latte art into a cat."

The mind controller opened his mouth to reply, but a stammered greeting filled the void before he could.

"U-Uh, hi, Aizawa-chan."

All eyes turned to Hiroyasu, who looked like he really regretted saying anything in the first place.

Asa blinked. "Oh, right! I forgot you two know each other!"

"You can call me Eri-chan," she replied. Asagao didn't miss how she gave Hiro a pointed look. The boy seemed to sink a bit lower in his seat.

Nudging Hiro under the table, Asagao motioned for them to scoot further into the booth. Once they had, Asa shot their new guests a friendly smile, prompting Shinsou to slide in next to her and Eri next to Hiro.

There were several things Asa noticed all at once. One, her brother's cheeks were flushed pink. Two, he was now staring out the window. And three, Eri was staring at him in turn.

Bright violet eyes turned to meet dull purple, and she found a similar inquisitive look in them. She quirked an eyebrow. Shinsou's lips twitched upward. At least she wasn't the only one noticing that something was off.

Shinsou cleared his throat to break the silence. He slid a menu in Eri's direction, which quickly took her attention off of Hiro.

There was only a brief moment of reprieve from the awkwardness before she elbowed Hiro gently. "What'd you get?"

Asa watched her brother's head snap around. "I-I, we— you always say my tastes are plain!"

"Not plain, just needing guidance," Eri corrected. "So tell me what you got."

The florist's head was spinning. Okay, Shinsou and Aizawa were right— these two _definitely_ had some sort of history. But how? They were a year apart and in totally different departments.

"Me and nē-chan got the regular hot cocoa with vanilla and cinnamon," her little brother mumbled.

"And marshmallows," Asa added. She turned toward Shinsou. "They do have a cat theme here— I'm pretty sure you can ask for marshmallows that are shaped like cat heads."

A ghost of a smile appeared on his face. "I'll have to ask, then."

Asagao glanced over at Eri, noting the kitten ears on the hood of her winter coat. "Is there a cat-thing in the Aizawa family? I know sensei likes them, too."

"We have four cats," Eri nodded, not looking up from her menu. But then, red eyes flickered up toward Shinsou, glimmering curiously. "I think that's one of the reasons you and dad got along when you first met."

Again, the cogs in Asa's mind were whirring away. "Wait, you're not—"

"Not his kid," Shinsou finished for her. "We get that a lot."

The florist suddenly felt very stupid. Of course— she knew his full name, why hadn't she made that connection before? But then the way he interacted with Aizawa and Eri…it just seemed to fit.

"Not even a cousin?" she questioned.

Eri shrugged. "Nope. But we've adopted him."

Shinsou's eyebrow raised. "I was adopted first—"

"And then I was officially."

"—and then I adopted you."

"We adopted each other at the same time."

Asa found herself grinning. Even if they weren't related by blood, they certainly acted like siblings. The banter wasn't as loud or silly as her and Hiro, but more calm and subdued, sarcasm dripping off every word and subtle inflection lending itself to dry humor. She could practically hear Aizawa in their tones, and she half-wanted to ask how much the sensei had truly impacted both of their lives. It was clearly much more than she'd realized, considering neither of them were actually his blood relatives.

"Huh, so that's where you get it from."

And again, all eyes turned to Hiro— probably because he'd been so quiet. His face was still tinged red, but there was a curiosity in his eyes. When he realized everyone was staring, he startled.

"Sorry, I just— I've never been around Aizawa-sensei much, but you two are—"

"—kind of like we are," Asa filled in, laughing. "Sort of. Guess all siblings work the same way, right?"

"Wouldn't know," Shinsou shrugged. "I'm an only child—" There was a thud. "_Seriously_, Eri?"

The girl smoothed her white hair back innocently. "What? If you deny being my brother again, I'm going to kick you again."

Purple eyes rolled skyward. "Does being siblings involve annoying each other?"

The Nakano kids nodded at the same time. "Definitely."

The somewhat-adopted-kids smiled at that.

A waiter came and went a minute later, and both Shinsou and Eri ordered what they'd talked about— plus cat marshmallows. All four of them settled back in their seats comfortably. Well, three of them did. Hiro looked like he had an invisible metal rod strapped to his back.

Asagao moved to bump his foot under the table, but accidentally caught a different one near her. She grinned at Shinsou apologetically. He just waved a dismissive hand.

"So what are you guys doing here?" he asked, again cutting through the silence. Asa was really going to have to interrogate her brother on his behavior later. He'd been so chatty before Eri arrived.

"Just taking a break from exam stress," she answered with an easy smile.

Eri's mouth puckered in distaste. "I feel like they're trying to murder us in the hero course."

"Just taking you to the brink of death, is all," Shinsou clarified.

Red eyes glared. "You know they won't partner us together. We know each other's tricks too well."

The pro hero clicked his tongue. "That reminds me— you still good for Wednesday, Nakano?"

Asa bobbed her head excitedly. "Yup! Interrogation training, right?"

When Shinsou nodded, Hiro's head tilted. "What do you mean by—"

"We want to join."

And now all eyes were on Eri. Seriously, what was going on with the flow of this conversation? Asagao was dying to figure out why things felt so stiflingly awkward between the two high schoolers.

"I'm curious to see how you use your vines— Shinsou's told me some about them," Eri continued. "And Hiro's been wanting to come watch, but he's too shy to ask."

Asa looked to her brother. The semi-annoyed strain in his eyes, along with a pout, told her that Eri was right. So…they must talk some, then? If they talked about her training? This was so confusing.

Holding in a frustrated sigh, the florist turned her attention to Shinsou. He shrugged, "I don't have an issue with it. Just ask Aizawa to make sure."

The waiter returned before anything more could be said on the subject. Hot drinks were set down on the table, and conversation turned to contented silence, only broken by the occasional comment on how good the cocoa or coffee was.

Gradually, Hiroyasu seemed to relax, but part of Asa was genuinely worried. Was he acting strange around Eri because she was in the hero course? What if he wasn't doing as well at U.A. as she thought? Did he not get along with his peers? Were any of them picking on him for being quirkless? But Eri didn't seem like the type to do that, even though she was shockingly blunt (what had happened to the cute girl tugging on her dad's sleeve for flowers a few months ago?). So what was up?

But then Asa saw her brother's brown eyes flick over toward Eri, then away again. And then again. And again. And his face was still pink, and like a tidal wave, realization crashed over her.

…did her little brother have a crush?

Asa bit her lip to keep it from spilling out. Okay, first of all, that was adorable. Second of all, they would definitely be an interesting match. Third of all, how did this even come to be? And what about…hm, Asagao needed answers, and she needed them _now_.

But before she could begin formulating a sly way of asking how they met, her phone buzzed. Her eyes sparkled when she saw the name on the screen.

**Izuku:** How is my Wonder Woman?

Asa smiled softly, her heart fluttering. He'd taken to calling her that recently— it was some sort of reference to an old American hero he admired.

She moved to type a response, but then had a better idea. Asa looked up from her phone and grinned widely at the three in front of her. "Izuku just texted, wanna take a selfie?"

The two teenagers across from her perked up immediately, and Shinsou gave a shrug as his answer. Thus, the florist turned and raised her phone to get all of them in the shot. Shinsou put up a lazy peace sign, Eri waved, and Hiro smiled widely. Asa stuck her tongue out just before she pushed the button.

They took several pictures, posing slightly differently each time. The group deliberated over which one to send, and after they'd decided and the teenagers added some emojis onto the picture, Asa sent it to her boyfriend.

**Asa:** We're doing good!

**Izuku:** Didn't know you guys were hanging out tonight?

**Asa:** I was here with Hiro, and we bumped into them! Hiro's super stressed out with school :P

**Izuku:** Yikes, it's exam season, isn't it?

**Asa:** Yup he's freaking out

**Izuku:** I remember that feeling. When you guys are done, can I call you? I miss you D:

**Asa:** I'll let you know when I'm free :) miss you too. Can't wait to hear about your day!

"—no, you're only saying that because you haven't had the opportunity," Eri was saying when Asagao put her phone away.

"Well…yeah, they don't let non-hero course students sign up for extracurricular training," Hiro replied, wringing his hands awkwardly.

Asa frowned. "Wait, they don't? Why not?"

To her left, Shinsou let out a sigh. "Because there's never been a precedent for it. Aizawa's been petitioning for it for years. He thinks every student at U.A. should at least be able to defend themselves in a villain attack."

"Maybe you could help them see that," Hiro said. The florist turned to see her little brother smiling at her with bright brown eyes. "What happened— well, you know, it's—"

"You are an example of why anyone connected to the hero world needs training," Eri finished.

Violet eyes blinked. "Huh…hadn't thought of it that way before."

"You're making a bigger mark than you know, Nakano," Shinsou hummed. "Whether you realize it or not."

Asa sipped on her cocoa as she thought it over. She really hadn't viewed it like that…but yeah, it made sense, especially since she was the number one pro hero's girlfriend. She was a target by association, just like kids in the support course would be. That familiar feeling of justice bubbled up inside her, and Asa leveled Shinsou with a steady look.

"Let me know what I can do to help get that petition through," she said. The mind controller grinned.

A few more swallows of their drinks later, the four were waving goodbye outside of the cafe.

"See you next week," Eri called out.

Asa smiled. "Yeah, see you then! It'll be fun!" When there was no response from her brother, Asagao glanced over to see red cheeks burning and eyes staring at the ground. Finally— now she could ask.

The siblings started their journey to U.A.'s campus in silence. Thankfully, it seemed that Eri and Shinsou had errands to run elsewhere, so they weren't awkwardly following them. Asa kept her gaze on the sidewalk in front of them, mulling over how to begin this.

"…she's cute."

Hiro's head snapped up. "O-Okay?" he squeaked.

Asa held back a snicker. "Is that an agreement, or…?"

"No!" he shouted. Then, he froze. "I mean, it's— that sounds horrible, she…" he swallowed. "Yes."

The sister hummed. So her suspicions were probably correct. "What about that guy in general studies? I thought you two had a thing last year."

She looked over just in time to see her little brother sag. "Yeah, we…it didn't work out." When she didn't say anything, Hiroyasu continued, "He, um, he didn't want to date someone who was quirkless. Said I didn't deserve to be in the support department."

Unknowingly, the gauntlet wrapped around the florist's right hand began to glow. "Well he's a jerk," Asa said through gritted teeth.

Hiro managed a weak smile. "Agreed."

If Asagao was honest right now, she was furious. She remembered how emotional that crush had been for Hiro— realizing his feelings, confessing them, trying to figure out how to function in a relationship. Hiro had come out to her as bisexual a few weeks before he told their parents. They'd been supportive, of course…and now Asa felt like the worst sister ever for not noticing how Hiro had slowly stopped talking about that boy.

A thought occurred to her. "Eri knows you're quirkless."

Hiro breathed softly, the air turning white around his mouth. "Yeah." His brown eyes were turned upward, city lights reflecting in them dreamily. Asa smiled. It was nice to see him happy.

But then, Hiro snapped out of his daze. "I-It, um, it doesn't matter, though. It's not like that, really. She's just— I don't know, she's kinda pushy and noticed I was alone in the cafeteria one day, so I think she made it this weird mission to be my friend, but she can be really intense and stuff, like she's super honest and I don't know how to respond to her, so sometimes I avoid her—"

Asa lifted an eyebrow. "Why would you avoid her? I get she's blunt, but she still seems nice."

Hiroyasu ducked his head, muttering something along the lines of "I don't know, it's just really complicated and stuff." Smiling gently, Asa wrapped her arm around her brother's shoulders and squeezed. He looked up at her and gave her a grin that was both grateful and confused.

For the rest of the walk back to campus, they didn't talk about it. Asa chatted about the clients she'd seen that day, advised him on what he should wear to training with her and Shinsou, and how the weather had really gotten so cold lately. When they hugged goodbye at the school gate, Hiro's smile had returned, and Asagao finally felt like she'd accomplished her big sister role for the evening.

As soon as Hiro was out of sight, Asa pulled out her phone and dialed her boyfriend's number. He picked up on the first ring.

"Hi," Izuku greeted breathlessly.

The florist giggled. "Hi. Are you busy?"

"No, no, just been cleaning up the apartment is all," he said, and she imagined him shaking his head, soft green curls bouncing. "How often do I need to water this plant again?"

"Just once a week," she replied. "How was your day?"

"Good! It was good; busy, as always, and lot's of stuff going on— I bet you saw some of it on the news."

Asa grinned. "Yeah I did. You and Bakugou-san did great!"

Izuku laughed, "Thanks. Not much else really happened after that, just the usual interrogations and paperwork but, uh…"

The florist had gotten distracted by the holiday decorations around town and didn't realize her boyfriend had trailed off until the line had been quiet for ten seconds. "Izuku? Are you there?"

"Y-Yes!" he stammered. "I am, just…thinking."

"When aren't you?" she joked.

Her hero laughed again, but this time, it sounded forced. "Yeah, I guess so. I just, um…what I said? Earlier? I really do miss you."

"I just saw you yesterday, silly!" Asa teased.

"I know, I know, but—"

"I miss you, too, Izuku," she added on before he could ramble any more. "You know you're always my favorite place to be."

There was a loud sigh. "I know. Sorry, I'm being stupid."

The florist shook her head. "You're not being stupid, Izuku. I know the feeling. I thought about inviting you out with Hiro and me tonight, but we don't really get to spend a lot of time together just the two of us anymore."

"And that's totally fine!" Izuku insisted. "I think that's wonderful that you two got to hang out. Is he okay?"

Asa's mind drifted back to their conversation a bit ago. Her blood was still nearly boiling at the thought of that kid who rejected her brother for being quirkless. "He's…I think he'll be okay," she decided. "He and Eri-chan are going to join our next training session! That'll probably cheer him up some more."

Silence rang out over the line. Brown eyebrows furrowed. "Izuku? Did the call drop?"

"I…no, I'm still here."

She stopped on the sidewalk. "Is something wrong?"

"I just…I don't know how to put it."

Asagao wished she was there to give him a kiss. "It's okay, I'm listening."

He let out a shuddering breath. "Y-You, uh…you're spending a lot of time with Shinsou-kun lately. I guess…you guys are…friends now?"

The florist considered it for a moment. "Huh, I guess so. The training lessons do sort of make you get to know a person, and he's been a good teacher."

Izuku swallowed. "Yeah. Uhuh."

Asa thought she could figure out what he was getting at. "Are you sure you don't want to come to my lessons? I know we've both been busy lately, and we haven't gotten to see each other much. It wouldn't be too distracting."

"No, I— never mind, forget I said anything, it's stupid, I—"

"_Izuku_," she whispered. His muttering halted immediately. "You know how much I care about you, right? And that if I could, I'd spend every second with you?"

"Y-Yeah."

Something in his tone made her heart squeeze painfully. He sounded so small, so anxious. For a moment, she considered going to his apartment, but then she remembered that he'd told her about some mission he'd need to get up at two in the morning for. She didn't want to get in the way of what little sleep he was already going to get.

"I'm free Thursday night," she told him. "What about you?"

"Yes!" he blurted. "I, ah, I'll come up with something fun for us to do!"

Asa laughed, "I'm sure you will."

A brief silence filled the line, then there was a sigh. "I'm sorry for acting weird, Asagao. I, you, um, you make my heart crazy," he chuckled. "Sometimes I don't know what to do with it."

A flash of desire ran through her. Ugh, now she'd really like to go to his apartment and show him exactly what to do with those crazy feelings.

But instead, she finally started walking again, warm tingles spreading through her veins. "You make my heart crazy, too. Now get some rest, okay? I know you have a big day tomorrow."

"Okay. I lo— mmm, ugh, I," Izuku let out a groan, and Asagao giggled. "You'remyfavoritepersoninthewholeentireworldandIlikeyousosososomuch."

Her heart felt like it would burst with joy. "I like you so so so so much, too, Izuku. And I miss you."

"I miss you, too," he murmured. "I'll let you know how the mission goes, okay?"

"Okay," she nodded. "Sleep well, please."

"You too. Goodnight, Asagao."

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**Please leave a review :) Your support means so much to me!**


	21. Chapter 21

**Thank you all for so many lovely reviews last week! It really makes my day :) Enjoy!**

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"Heroes are after fame and glory, nothing else."

Silence.

"People who are quirkless are useless to society."

She didn't flinch.

"Midoriya doesn't love you."

Her lip twitched up at that. He was really trying hard to get her to crack. Asa mastered her face back into one of neutrality, and Shinsou's eyes betrayed his approval.

The third week of November had rolled around quickly (single digits until her birthday!). Earlier, Asagao had laughed at her brother's jittery excitement over witnessing her training. Now, she was trying her best to not look at him for fear he would break her blank expression.

"You really don't realize how stupid you are, do you?"

A childish response popped out before she could stop it: "I know you are, but what am I?"

The teenagers off to the side burst into a fit of giggles, prompting Shinsou to roll his eyes. "You're lucky I'm feeling nice today. I'm too tired to use my quirk."

"You're always tired," Asagao pointed out.

"No," Eri cut in. "He's just lazy."

Now the florist was the one laughing. The pro hero in the chair across from her sighed. In hindsight, they should've known having guests would inherently make training a bit more difficult. But Asa would almost argue that it helped— the stress of trying to resist responding to Shinsou's taunts mixed with biting her tongue to keep from laughing weirdly helped her master what little bit of self control she had.

Her sensei rose out of his chair, stretching his arms above his head languidly. After a moment, Shinsou turned and inclined his head in Hiro's direction. "I'm sorry for what I said during the interrogation. I was only trying to focus on her weak spots."

Her little brother waved his hands, "It's fine! I know you didn't mean it!"

Shinsou nodded. Asagao couldn't help but smile. It made her happy to see _someone_ treating Hiro with respect. Throughout the beginning of the training session, the older sister had watched how Hiro interacted with the other two— and vice versa.

The not-really-siblings both had strong quirks. Asa had only heard stories from Izuku about what Eri was capable of. Shinsou she'd experienced first hand, as well as seen it on the few videos captured of his underground work.

And yet, besides the normal nervousness of being around a pro hero, her little brother was completely fine. The other two were completely fine. No one acted like he was any different, and it made her heart swell. They clearly didn't see him as the odd one out for being quirkless. He was just him. And that was enough.

The sister was called out of her thoughts by the sound of Eri clapping.

"Alright, come on— lunch break doesn't last forever," she stated. "Spar time. Get to it."

Hiro nodded excitedly. "Yeah! I wanna see what you can do, nē-chan!"

The two adults in the room glanced at each other before they smiled challengingly. It was on.

* * *

A thrill ran through Izuku as he crossed the street. He could see her shop in the distance— a vision of pastel pink and warmth and happiness and _man_, he really couldn't have waited another day to see her, could he? He'd always thought about doing something like this, but lunch hours were usually so busy.

His hand grasped the takeout bag a little tighter. He'd missed her so much lately. He knew they were having dinner together tomorrow night, but he couldn't resist! Even if she was busy, and all he got to do was drop off lunch and give her a quick kiss, that was enough. Plus, she'd be totally surprised! He hadn't given her a single clue that he'd be coming! He could imagine her face now, eyes lit up and a bright smile when he came through the door.

The thought of it stirred something deep in his heart, and Izuku held in a happy sigh. He knew he…cared about her. A lot. Something about that "L" word kept scaring him away, but he knew he wouldn't be able to deny it much longer. The thing was, Izuku didn't do things half heartedly. As soon as he knew he loved her, that was it. She would hold his heart, and he would do everything in his power to plead with her to always keep it, even though he could never imagine her breaking it.

The number one pro hero was practically skipping by the time he walked through the front door of his girlfriend's flower shop. The new girl, Chiemi, glanced up from her position behind the counter. Her eyes looked like they were about to fall out of her head when she realized who had entered.

"O-Oh! Deku-san!" she cried. "C-Can I help you?"

Izuku put on his gentlest smile, the one he wore around children he'd just saved. "I was looking for Asagao," he said. When she blinked, he held up the takeout bag as a silent explanation. "Is she in the back?"

Chiemi shook her head. "N-No, it's just me and Akari-san. Nakano-san, is, um…" the girl trailed off. "It's that pro hero I've been seeing around a lot lately…the one with the purple hair? She's with him for lunch break. We're holding down the fort while she's gone— o-or at least, trying to."

His ears had stopped working after she said "purple hair." Shinsou. They were…somewhere? Together? Had she mentioned that? Izuku couldn't recall, and it wasn't their usual training time, and she always told him when those times were so they could schedule around it to see each other, but—

"Deku-san?"

Izuku startled back to reality. "Whoops, sorry, just ah—" he laughed awkwardly. "Got lost in thought."

The younger girl tilted her head. "You could leave it here for her, if you want. I'll let her know— t-that is, if you want, I don't want to tell you what to do and—"

"No, no, it's fine." He could feel those old, nasty sensations clawing at his heart again. It'd been like this for a couple weeks now. Why couldn't he get rid of them? He could've sworn they were gone when he walked in here, but then the moment he'd heard she was with Shinsou, they were back with a vengeance, and—

He forced a smile on his face before his mind could go any further. "I'll leave it with you, yeah! Let her know I stopped by, okay?"

Chiemi nodded dutifully. Izuku set the bag down on the counter, gave the employee a little wave, and then left the shop, his heart feeling achy from the soaring heights of cloud nine it had just crashed down from.

* * *

Asagao hadn't realized how _different_ her quirk could feel.

She wasn't aware of how fluidly she moved until Hiroyasu pointed it out to her. She wasn't aware of how focused she was until Eri mentioned it. She didn't know how far she'd come until Shinsou reminded her of how much connecting with just one foreign plant used to wear her out.

And here she was now, round two with Shinsou, commanding four different vines to attack him.

After everyone had commented on her performance in the first round, she couldn't help but notice that they were right. Asa used to be so hyper-aware of the fact that she was controlling something. Now, it was almost like the plants were an extension of herself, moving in tandem at will with the ease of flexing a finger. And yes, it was still tiring, and she could feel her breaths starting to get shallow with overexertion, but she felt _alive_ and powerful and like if she only kept going, she could be unstoppable one day.

Her sensei, however, could always sense when she was pushing herself too far. She felt more than heard Shinsou retracting his scarf, and when she opened her eyes, she saw him giving her a familiar look.

"Straining your quirk too much so quickly will only—"

"That was AMAZING!" Hiro burst, cutting off Shinsou's incoming lecture.

Asagao looked over and laughed when she saw her brother trying to weave his way through the mess of vines left on the gym floor. Eri followed suit, her red gaze never leaving the back of Hiro's head.

"I mean really, nē-chan," he chattered away as they approached, "I had no idea you could— ah!"

"Hiro!" Asa cried out, wincing.

Full disclosure: Hiroyasu has always been clumsy. This has been a known fact ever since the first day he walked and fell face-first into the corner of a table. So no, she wasn't really surprised when he brother tripped over one of her vines, but she was still concerned.

The group rushed to his side and found the teenager sitting on the ground, his teeth gritted in pain. One of her thorns had left a small, but deep gash on his lower leg.

Asagao knelt down. "Hiro—"

"It's fine," he laughed tightly.

"No it's not," Eri said. "Come on— there's a first aid kit in the locker room."

Her brother hadn't gotten out a word before he was being pulled up and dragged toward said locker room. Shinsou and Asa were left in a strange silence, staring after the two with equally curious expressions.

There was still so much about Eri that Asagao couldn't understand. Aizawa had been by at the beginning of their session (mainly to make sure the teenagers understood the consequences of what happened if they got involved), and Eri had been a completely different person. It was like taking a trip back in time to a few months ago in her flower shop— she was sweet, shy, and didn't say much.

And then as soon as her dad left, she reverted back to normal. Or, well, what Asa thought must be her normal, but…

The young woman's head tilted. "She acts—"

"Different?" Shinsou offered. When she nodded, he scoffed. "Yeah, it's just how she works. She's more comfortable around people closer to her age. All that stuff that happened when she was a kid screwed her up, so she still puts on a face around the older heroes."

Asa frowned. "Even Aizawa-sensei?"

Shinsou shrugged. "He can see through it, but he knows it wouldn't do any good to push her on it. That'd make things worse, if anything."

The florist hummed understandingly. From what she'd picked up on, Eri didn't have a normal childhood. It almost made too much sense that she now seemed to walk around with an attitude as thick as titanium armor.

There was a nudge on her arm. "Ready to get back to work?"

Asagao leaned down to grab a swig from her water bottle and swallowed loudly. "Yup, let's do it."

* * *

The air in the locker room was suffocating. Eri hadn't said a word to him as she lead him back to a place to sit down. She was familiar with the layout— he was not. They didn't let support students roam around the hero department areas. So here he was, trailing after her like a lost puppy and wishing he could stop his hands from fidgeting anxiously.

Hiroyasu didn't know what to think of her. Or, well, maybe he thought a lot of her and it was just too much. She was everything all at once, a force to be reckoned with and obeyed, and sometimes it left him wondering why on earth she'd sought him out all those months ago. After all, she was…well, she was the axis upon which the world sat. She could change reality anytime she wanted. And he was just a person trying his best to help in what little ways he could.

She motioned to a bench, and he sat without hesitation. Then, a thought occurred to him.

"Don't use your quirk on me," he blurted out. "That'd be such a waste! It's not a bad cut, really, I— oh."

In her hand was a first aid kit that had seemingly appeared out of thin air. One of her delicate white eyebrows was lifted. "I wasn't going to."

"R-Right."

"Roll up your pants leg."

"Y-Yeah, I— okay."

He watched in horrendous, deafening silence as she kneeled down and took out the necessary items from the first aid kit. She regarded his torn, blood-splattered pants for a moment. "You're going to have to get those replaced."

He swallowed. "I know."

Eri hummed noncommittally. Should he say something? This felt so awkward. He should've asked Asa to help him instead, but no, he'd let himself get dragged away by the one person he could barely talk to.

The girl in front of him was wiping off the cut with an alcohol wipe, now, and Hiro let out a hiss at the sting it caused. She glanced up, a nonverbal apology shining in her intense red eyes. Hiroyasu's gaze darted away.

Seconds ticked by painfully. He was only half-aware of the fact that she was wrapping his wound in gauze. The sound of tape being ripped made him want to sigh with relief. Good, she was almost done— all she had to do was secure the bandage, and then he could sprint out of here.

But no, of course that wasn't what happened.

"I saw you staring at me across the lunch room yesterday. Again."

The teenage boy seized up immediately. "I-I, w-what, no, you— I wasn't, why would I—"

"You like me, don't you?"

Hiro winced, almost like her sharp intellect had literally pierced him.

"Or you at least think I'm pretty," she continued casually as she taped down the gauze.

Brown eyes grew as wide as saucers, and Hiroyasu's brain searched ceaselessly for some sort of a coherent answer. "Ahhhhhh I, um, I-I will admit to the second half of that?" he squeaked.

Eri looked up at him curiously.

"Well, no, I mean, it's—" Hiro wished he could shut up, "—yes, you are pretty, but not just that, and um, I think that, you're really cool, kind of intimidating— no, that's not what I meant, you're, um, special, and—

She tilted her head. "Your face is turning red."

"I-I, y-you, y-you can't, I don't—" Hiroyasu stammered. Her gaze was just too much, too _deep_, and his eyes found themselves focusing on the ground. She was packing her things back into the first aid kit. His lack of a response didn't seem to bother her in the slightest.

Finally, after she clicked the case shut, he whispered, "How…how are you so honest?"

"I just say what I think and do what I feel like doing," Eri replied. Like it was easy. Which it was for her, but not for him, and did she realize that? Or did she just think that everyone worked like that? "People don't do that a lot, and it makes things complicated."

Hiro swallowed, then nodded. "I…yeah, you have a point."

The locker room fell silent, save for the sound of soft breathing.

After a beat, he glanced up. "You haven't said how you feel, though, or what you think of me," he pointed out, eyes darting back down to their shoes. "So…I guess I would kinda like to know."

She shrugged. "I know what I want, but I hadn't decided on when to do it."

Confusion rattled Hiro's brain. He started to lift his head. "When to do wha—mn?!"

He hadn't realized she'd gotten so close. He hadn't realized her hands were reaching toward his face. He hadn't realized a lot of things up until that moment, but here she was, kissing him and making his head spin.

The kiss barely lasted a few seconds. It was still and chaste and sweet, but had this underlying fire that he wanted to dig up and let burst free because he could _feel_ her holding back, and her lips were firm on his and there was this unsaid passion flowing between them and his eyes were open in shock and had only just closed when she pulled away.

Red eyes stared steadily into his. "When _you_ know what _you_ want, you know where to find me."

And there he was, gulping and nodding and feeling so so dizzy. Eri got up from her kneeling position and left. It was only then that Hiroyasu realized his hands were hanging mid-air from where they'd been reaching out to hold her.

* * *

She was back in her mind space again, vines flying— left, right, up, down. Shinsou evaded her every move, and despite it, she found herself grinning. He wasn't going easy on her. Finally she could really see what she was made of.

Asagao sensed another strike of his scarf incoming and whipped out a vine she'd left waiting still in the corner. A thorn snagged the scarf, and in her glee, she made the mistake of opening her eyes to see it.

It happened all at once. Seeing the surprise on his face, stepping forward, realizing their weapons had gotten tangled, and then, the crash that echoed through the gym.

Asa groaned, subconsciously releasing her control of the vines. She'd hit her knee on the way down, but— wait, how had she not hit her head, too? Or any other body part for that matter?

The moment Asa's eyes blinked open, her face burned as hot as the sun. Shinsou stared up at her in a similar state. Oh. That was why she hadn't hit anything else.

"I'm so sorry!" she apologized as she scrambled off the pro hero. Purple eyes looked through her. If it was possible, her cheeks got even hotter out of embarrassment. "I can't believe I tripped— usually Hiro's the clumsy one in the family," she joked, adding on a weird laugh. Had she hurt him? Getting smushed under someone like that couldn't feel good no matter how much training someone had.

Shinsou was still just staring at her, and Asa was one second away from snapping in his face before he startled. "No, it's— it's okay. You caught me off guard."

Asa breathed a sigh of relief. "That's good. I mean, not, good, but—"

"I know what you mean."

The florist tilted her head. There was something…odd in her teacher's eyes. Like he wasn't quite there. "You didn't hit your head on the floor, did you?"

"No," he shook his head. His face was still bright red, seemingly from exercise. Maybe they _had_ been pushing themselves too hard. "I— had a long shift last night. 'm just tired."

Frowning, Asagao got up from the floor. "Let's call it a day, then," she offered. "I'm pretty sure lunch period is over anyways."

Shinsou nodded. The silence was…different than usual. Over the brief time they'd gotten to know each other, Asa had learned that he was generally a quiet person. Something she prided herself on was being able to read people well and adapt to how they liked to be treated. It came in handy with her various types of clients, but right now, the air between them just felt weird.

'I really hope I didn't knee him in the groin and he's just not admitting it,' she thought, inwardly cringing.

She was just about to ask if he was okay again when the pro hero shot her an approving smile. "You did well. You're becoming more aware of your surroundings while you're in your mind space."

"Learned from some of the best," she replied lightly. With that, she closed her eyes and cut off the vines she'd created. They'd learned quickly she couldn't return them to their former state— that'd be like rewinding creation itself.

That odd feeling floated around them as they cleaned and closed up the gym as Aizawa had requested. It stayed that way until she started to leave, then looked back at Shinsou expectantly. "Said you were coming?"

"Yeah," he nodded. "More flowers for Eri. She won't shut up about them."

Asa smiled. "I'm glad she likes them so much."

He offered her a hint of an upward curve to his lips, and her worries subsided. Maybe he really was just tired and that's why it felt strange. In their (well, she guessed they could be considered friends now) slow-forming friendship, he had always been very relaxed. And non-judgmental. Those were nice qualities to have in a teacher.

But for now, things seemed mended, so Asagao and Shinsou walked side by side in a much more comfortable silence to her shop. She checked her phone, frowning only slightly when she didn't see any texts from Izuku. It _was_ the middle of the day. He was probably super busy, as per usual. She shot off a quick "hope your day is going well!" with a heart emoji before she tucked her phone away and enjoyed people watching for the rest of the trip.

Chiemi waved excitedly when the two walked in. "Hi, Nakano-san! How was your training?"

"It was good," the owner replied, already slipping around behind the counter to grab her apron. "Thanks for keeping things under control while I was gone."

The girl tucked some of her hair behind her ear, laughing, "I think that was more Akari-san than me, but thanks."

Asagao nodded. She tied off the knot on her apron, then looked up toward Shinsou. "So, same as usual?"

But he wasn't where she'd left him. Instead, he'd wandered over, which was weird because he usually never did that. He came, got flowers for Eri, and left.

Violet eyes narrowed to see what he was staring at, and when they recognized the flower, Asa's heart squeezed. Poor thing.

As softly as she could, the florist approached the pro hero. His eyes were distant as he stared down at an arrangement of morning glories— it was a look she was all too familiar with. She'd seen it in her own eyes in the mirror for many years.

_"Asagaos,"_ she murmured. Shinsou glanced up at her, then back down again. She smiled gently. Yup. She could see it clear as day.

"I don't…" he trailed off. It was weird to hear him sound so unsure. "I don't know why, but I'm…drawn to them."

She hummed. "And you haven't been before, have you?" He shook his head. Her heart hurt for him.

Asagao walked forward and petted her namesake's petals. "It's normal, don't worry. People are always drawn toward flowers that understand them."

"What do they mean?"

When she looked up, she saw furrowed eyebrows and a confused pout.

"Morning glories stand for unrequited love," she told him. Asa swore she saw him flinch, even though she spoke as quietly as she could. The florist continued, "It's a horrible feeling, I know— I can relate."

Shinou's head whipped up to stare at her.

She laughed, "Yeah, the pain in your chest, wishing that person would just _see_ you. The _asagaos_ understand all of it." Violet eyes drifted back to the flowers, gazing at them adoringly. "I thought the feeling would never go away. But then I met Izuku, and…slowly, but surely, it's gone."

The florist turned back to her new friend, smiling brightly. "I'm sure you'll find the person who does the same for you, one day."

Shinsou smiled back. It didn't reach his eyes. Asa held back a frown. Man, he really was tired.

Spinning on her heel, Asa made her way toward the greenhouse. "I'll go get your order for you! Be back in a few!"

She missed the way the pro hero's shoulders sagged.

* * *

Toga— or, Chiemi, she thought to herself with a giggle— was delighted. Why wouldn't she be? Her precious Deku had visited today, giving her an absolutely delicious lunch that no one else needed to know about (especially her _boss_, ugh, what did he even see in her).

But really, the surprise lunch visit wasn't what made her happy. No, that honor went to the devastated look in Deku's eyes when she told him where his girlfriend was. And sure, she left out a few details, added a couple things in, but what did that matter? Her darling Deku was about to get his heart broken! Some white lies wouldn't make a difference.

_"I'll text you about our next training session, okay?"_

_"Yeah, see you."_

Her heart thumped wildly as she listened to her boss bid the crazy-hair hero goodbye. Her boss had sent her into the back— she couldn't _wait_ until her plan was complete— so she could organize a new set of ribbons.

Even though the work was tedious, every second she was there, she felt shivers running through her body. The scent of Deku and love and soon-to-be _pain_ was everywhere, and she _thrived_ on it. The ironic thing was, she'd barely had to do anything to set things in motion! Everything was working out just fine on its own— further proof that Deku really deserved better than this mess. He deserved someone smarter, cuter, stronger.

Someone like herself.

Only a little more time, and he would see that. The final step was nearly here if her sweet Deku's reaction from earlier was any indication. Yes, soon Toga would have what she wanted— and he would have what he deserved.

* * *

**To all of you who kept saying that Toga was Chiemi- I kept laughing every time I read your reviews, because I was like YES GOOD THEY'RE SEEING IT. Anyways, please tell me what you thought of this crazy chapter!**


	22. Chapter 22

**Hold on tight, kids, because here we go! Also, thank you as usual for all of the support- we're almost at 400 followers! Enjoy!**

* * *

Izuku loved Asagao— that was fact. If he wasn't, then there was no explanation as to why his heart was aching and his head was spinning.

Scarred hands rubbed down his face. Their date last Thursday had felt strange. She hadn't mentioned the lunch he left for her Wednesday. When she talked about her training with Shinsou, she laughed and smiled and apparently Eri and Hiro had been there, too, and Izuku just felt so so far away from it all. He was starting to wonder if it was his fault because obviously, being the number one pro hero took up a lot of time, and maybe he wasn't giving her enough of his time, and so she was seeking it out in others?

His heart clenched and there were tears stinging his eyes and he _hated_ it. He hated that he knew he was jealous. He hated that he couldn't figure out how to talk to her about it. He hated that whenever he did think about bringing it up, his anxiety spiked and he was just so terrified that maybe she would tell him that she was starting to like spending time with Shinsou more than him, and maybe she needed space to figure out her emotions, and, and, and—

Shinsou.

That was the worst part. Looking back, Izuku couldn't stop thinking about the way Shinsou had stared at her after she'd beaten him. He'd never seen Shinsou look at anyone that way before, and the crazy thing was that it was Izuku's fault that they were spending so much time together because she wouldn't need training if she wasn't dating him!

Izuku groaned and massaged his temples. He needed to talk to her about his. She would understand, right? She'd always understood when his thoughts spiraled out of control. But what if…what if this time she didn't?

And then Izuku's mind traveled elsewhere, to moments where violet eyes sparkled, gazing up into his, and their breaths were intermingled in a surge of passion, and how her sleepy voice had asked him to stay the night, always sweet, always understanding of his anxiety, always caring.

It wasn't adding up. And worse, tomorrow was Asagao's birthday.

Izuku sighed heavily, his eyes drifting over to where her present sat near him on the dining room table. Inside it was a pair of earrings, which all of his friends had told him was cheesy and predictable, but he liked them. They were simple pearls, but they had a fascinating purple tint to them, and they'd caught his eyes the second he passed by the shop window.

But as much as he liked the gift, he wanted to be _happy_ when he gave it to her, not stuck in his head wondering if he was just waiting around about to get his heart shattered.

He was taking her out to dinner— a nice place that he didn't have to pull too many strings to get into, because honestly, sometimes status was everything. Izuku wanted to make it a wonderful night, one she would remember and cherish because it was her birthday, her first one where they were together, and wasn't it his job to make it perfect?

…maybe that was too much pressure to put on himself.

But no, the hero decided, standing up abruptly from the table. He was under a lot of pressure every day, and he always rose to the occasion. It was literally his job. And if there was one occasion deserving of that, then it was this. He just hoped he could put this irrational jealousy aside for just one more night. Then, maybe, he would find the courage to talk to her about it.

* * *

Over time, Toga had learned to pick her targets wisely. Chiemi-chan was no different (although it was getting tiring having to actually keep someone alive for a constant buffet of blood). She was a cutie with a tech quirk, and honestly, what was more practical than that?

Toga could feel circuits and synapses meld into one as she shifted into Chiemi. She let out a sigh, electricity sparking at the nodes on her fingertips. It was a shame, really— having such a powerful quirk but not having much training with it. If Toga was feeling generous, she might teach Chiemi-chan a lesson or two on how to grow her abilities once she was done with her.

The urge to take down security networks, hack hero intel archives, and find nuclear launch codes was strong, but that wasn't what she wanted. Not really, anyways. Those were nice fantasies to come _after_ she had her Deku. For now, she had to stay focused on her mission. And today, on the day of her boss's birthday, that mission was in its final stages.

Transforming her finger to have the compatible charger end was simple after weeks of practice. She slipped it into her phone and shivered. _Yes_, there it was— mimicry coding. Time to stir the pot.

It was with glee she sent off two texts.

**Asa:** Shinsou, can you come to the shop? It's urgent! Get here as soon as you can, please!

**Asa:** Hi, sweetheart! Change of plans with the girls— Hana-chan's stuck at work, so no birthday lunch out. Wanna come by the shop in about thirty minutes? I know we have our date tonight, but I just miss you so much!

* * *

Shinsou had left his apartment the moment he got the text from Asagao. Had he been taking a nap after an extremely stressful night shift? Yes, but this sounded serious. If she was texting him…was she in trouble? Had a villain come to the shop? Was she hiding in a closet holding her breath? Did anyone else know?

The store was deadly quiet when he burst through the front door, and that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. It was never this empty— where were the other employees? Had they been hurt, too?

"Nakano-chan!" Shinsou called, rushing toward the back. When he came into the greenhouse, he let out a sigh of relief. She was there, safe and sound, tending to her roses near the far wall.

But when she turned around, her face was splotchy and red, and her eyes were puffy, and he knew that even if it wasn't a villain attack, something was seriously wrong.

He jogged over, brows furrowed. "Hey, I got your text. What's— oof!" The pro hero froze. His pupil had all but thrown herself into his arms, and now he was rigid, awkward and stiff and really having no idea what to do about the fact that she was openly sobbing into his chest.

Slowly, he moved his hands to rest uncomfortably on her shoulder blades. "Uh…do you…is there something you need to talk about?"

There was a strangled moan. "I-I, h-he— I can't _believe_ him!"

Okay, that was a start. "Who?"

"Izuku!" she cried. "He— he came in here, all mad— his quirk lit up and everything, and— and—"

Blinking in shock, Shinsou stepped back to give her a once-over. There were no signs of injuries, but…Midoriya had come in angry? With his quirk activated? Why?

"Nakano-chan, I'm going to need you to calm down as much as you can," Shinsou said steadily. "I need you to tell me what happened. When did he get here?"

"I-It was before I texted you— a-about ten minutes before," Asa added on. When he nodded, she continued, "He was furious, a-and shouting, and I just didn't know _why_, and I asked and he—" She took in a shuddering breath. "I can't say it, I can't—"

"Asagao," Shinsou interrupted. Panicked violet eyes met his. He shifted his hold to squeeze her shoulders gently. "You can tell me. I won't judge. But I need to know what happened in case this needs to be reported. Being the number one hero doesn't exclude him from the law if he broke it."

The florist nodded, her lip trembling. "He— it…it's about you," she whispered.

He swore his heart stopped. "What?"

Then, Asagao was groaning, jerking away from him and putting her face in her hands. "It's so stupid, it's so _stupid_," she muttered. Before he could ask what she was talking about, her hands went to clutch at her hair, revealing flushed cheeks.

"It's—" she struggled, "It's because you and I have been spending so much time together, and he said I was putting you above him and that it must mean that I want to be with you instead and—" And suddenly, she snapped her mouth shut.

Shinsou didn't think he was breathing. "And…what?"

The tension in the air was so thick. It felt like one of her vines when she would practice capturing— squeezing around him, slowly, painfully, until his lungs were choking and she let him go with profuse apologies.

And yet for all of the tension he felt, he watched as it absolutely melted from Asagao. It was like she'd had an epiphany, her eyes going wide, tears drying, and her feet carried her toward him dazedly.

"I…" she trailed off, stopping an inch away from him. Shinsou took in a sharp breath when her eyes flickered downward. "In the middle of us arguing, I…I think I realized he was right."

Just when his heart felt like it would shatter, just when he was about to step back and tell her _no, you have to be mistaken_, just when he was about to stammer out some sort of a response—

She kissed him.

'I accidentally controlled her,' he immediately thinks, but no, he knew he hadn't because he hadn't lost control of his quirk in years. So what was going on? Did he even care? Yes, yes he did— or yes he _should_, but her lips were on his, and she was pulling him back against the greenhouse wall by his collar, and he didn't know what to say other than that he was lost in the bliss of a fantasy he hadn't even let himself imagine.

The kiss is rough, insistent, _demanding_, and not at all what he thought Asagao would kiss like (though he hadn't dared to let his thoughts linger on it for too long before). But it's heaven, and their tongues are fighting, and for once, he feels his mind go blank, and he vaguely wonders if this is what it feels like to be under his own spell. To have someone in control and leading you and guiding you into a sea of tempting, inky black nothingness.

Except for it wasn't nothingness, because she was _here_, in his _arms_, and after weeks of struggling to shove away any errant thoughts of her, he lets go.

Under normal circumstances, Shinsou's finely tuned senses would have picked up on the sound of footsteps. He would've noticed the dinging of the shop bell or the squeaking of the greenhouse door hinges. But no, he was too caught up in the dizzying noises of breathy sighs and wistful moans to notice any of it.

* * *

As for the green-haired owner of said footsteps, he ran as soon as he saw his girlfriend up against the wall with her trainer.

* * *

Asagao was honestly in a fantastic mood. Her lunch outing with her friends had been so wonderful— getting together had become next to impossible with her increasingly busy schedule, so getting the chance to catch up and just relax was just amazing. And while she hadn't been worried too much about the shop while she was gone, it was nice to see that everything was just as it should be when she'd left Chiemi to hold down the fort.

The florist twirled into her bedroom with a happy sigh, because now, her birthday was only about to get even better! She was about to get dressed to go out with the man she was one hundred percent sure she was in love with, and you know what? She was in such a good mood, she felt bold enough to tell him! And if he didn't say it back, who cares? Izuku could take as much time as he needed, but Asa knew how she felt, and she thought she would burst if she dared to hold it in a minute longer.

As she stripped out of her work clothes and slipped into a dress, warm fuzzies filled her. She had no idea she could be this happy. All those years of pining after someone so far out of her reach…and now, she was here, head over heels and sort of wanting nothing more than to cancel their reservation so they could spend their time a little more privately.

But honestly, she wanted _more_ than that. She wanted to be able to see him every day, to learn everything there was to know about him, to figure out the perfect way to chase away his worries. Asa wanted "we," not "you and I," and it was such a strange but pleasant realization to have.

(And yes, she also wanted the passionate moments, too— can you blame her? I mean, look at him.)

So even though the desire to ask him to stay in was strong, Asagao kept getting ready to go out. She clipped on the necklace from Yaoyorozu (its good luck hadn't failed her yet!) and grabbed her favorite peacoat before she darted out the door skipping.

The sun was setting, flooding the sky in a blend of oranges and yellows and pinks. It looked straight out of a fairytale— and at the thought, Asa giggled, because she _was_ living a fairytale. She was in love with the sweetest, kindest, most courageous person on the whole planet. And yes, overtime, she'd learned his flaws. She knew how anxious he could get, how he could overthink anything at the drop of a hat, and how nervous he still was about telling her the truth about his quirk.

Yet despite it all, she loved him all the more. He wasn't perfect, and that _made_ him perfect, as weird as it was. It made her feel okay that she had a temper and that she could be forgetful and that she sometimes said stupid stuff when she was sleepy because they _both_ had silly things that they did, and that made _her_ feel less silly.

…did any of that even make sense?

Asa shrugged. Maybe it was that thing she'd always heard about love making you a little nonsensical. Was she really going to tell him tonight? Was she even going to be able to get the words out? What if she felt so overwhelmed that she started spewing out absolute gibberish?

As soon as the worried thought entered her mind, she banished it. Izuku would understand what she was trying to say no matter how eloquent (or ridiculous) it was! All that mattered was that she wanted him to know that her heart was his. It belonged to him and him alone. She would find some way to get the point across!

When she arrived at the restaurant, the hostess regarded her with wide eyes, and Asa blushed. She still wasn't used to being known as "Deku's girlfriend," even though there was still at least one new article about them each week.

Asagao was lead back to a private room, and when the curtain was drawn closed, she sighed and leaned back in her chair. She honestly hadn't thought she'd beat Izuku here— he was usually at least ten minutes early wherever he went. And it did feel weird being here just by herself. Tonight, it happened to wind up that meeting at the restaurant just worked better with their schedules, even though Izuku typically liked to walk with her to wherever their date location was.

And so, she just sat there, sipping on her crystal water glass (nope, still wasn't used to being taken out to nice places so often) and buzzing with energy. She eyed the curtain curiously. It seemed pretty opaque…maybe once he got here, she could sneak in at least a few kisses? It felt like she hadn't been with him in forever, and she couldn't deny that she was hoping things went a little further than usual tonight.

Then, as though her thoughts had summoned him, her boyfriend passed through the curtain.

The florist's face, which had fallen in thought, brightened immediately. She stood up from her chair. Asa took only one step before she realized that something was very, very wrong.

First of all, he wasn't greeting her with a kiss like usual. In fact, he wasn't even looking at her. His eyes were trained on the ground, hard and filled with an emotion so foreign to his kind personality that she honestly wasn't sure if she could label it. Her gaze slipped lower, and when she saw how his hands were balled up into trembling fists, her heart ached for him. Whatever made him like this must have been awful.

Putting on a gentle smile, she took another step forward. "Izuku, is something wrong?" she asked softly.

His jaw clenched. "You could say that."

Violet eyes blinked, but she remained focused. That tone…no, she couldn't take it personally. He probably didn't realize how he sounded. An idea occurred to her, and she suddenly felt like she understood what must be going on. "Did something happen at work today?"

And then, angry green eyes were flashing up at her. "I don't know, you tell me."

'Stay calm,' Asa told herself, even though she could already feel her own anger rising. What was going on with him? Why was he acting like this, and on her birthday of all days?

After taking in a calming breath, Asagao tried a different tactic. "How about we sit down and talk about whatever is bothering you? I think that might help."

Izuku swallowed hard. "I don't think it would."

'Alright, now he's just being ridiculous,' she thought, exasperated. Her teeth gritted, she spun on her heel and sat back down in her chair, giving him a pointed look.

"I don't know what you're so upset about," she said, trying to keep her voice as neutral as possible. "And if you don't tell me, we can't talk it out. That's not how relationships work, Izuku."

That seemed to spark something even hotter in his piercing gaze. "How relationships work, huh? Seriously? You're going to lecture me on that?"

Okay, she was mad. "_What_ are you talking about?!" she burst. "It's like you're speaking another language, and I can't—"

"You and Shinsou!"

In a second, her rage was replaced with confusion. "What?" she said blankly.

Izuku groaned, grasping at his hair. "Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about!"

She frowned. "I really don't."

He ripped his hands from his head. "Asagao, _please_, why can't you just be _honest_—"

"I honestly don't know what you're talking about!" she insisted. Her confusion was slowly bleeding into hurt, and she just didn't know what was going on, and she'd never seen him so _mad_ before, at least not directed at her.

And then, it clicked. "Wait— are you _jealous?_" she asked incredulously.

The hero threw his hands up in the air. "Of course I am! Why can't you—"

Three things happened all at once.

One, green lightning began leaping across his skin.

Two, Izuku looked down and gasped.

Three, Asagao's eyes widened in fear.

Their eyes connected. She gripped the arm rests of her chair. His eyes noticed the movement. Izuku reached forward— she shied away when his power arched toward her through the air, missing her by an inch.

And then, her boyfriend stumbled back. His mouth was dropped open in horror. He was looking down at himself, eyes frantic, like he couldn't find the off button for his quirk. Just as suddenly as his power had materialized, it stopped, his anger having been replaced with worry.

They stared at each other in silence.

"I-I," he stammered. "I-I didn't mean t-to, I was just— I would never—"

Asagao didn't know what she was feeling anymore. All she knew was that her face was hot, her heart was pounding, and tears were stinging her eyes.

Her voice trembling, she said, "I think you need to leave."

Izuku's eyes shattered. He opened his mouth to say something, but she stood up, indicating that either he left or she did. Izuku nearly tripped over his feet as he dashed out of the room, the curtain flying up as he did so.

She wasn't sure how long she stood there, alone and numb and so, so confused. But when her knees finally gave out and she fell back into her chair, sobs immediately began wracking through her body, and they didn't stop for a long time.

* * *

Kissing the purple-haired guy had been fun— not in the normal way, though. No, she got a different sort of pleasure from it than most. With every fake moan she produced, Toga was rewarded with the intense thrill of the hero moaning in return. By the time he was sighing her boss's name as she sucked at his neck, Toga was holding back maniacal shrieks of laughter.

Who knew messing with people could be so fun? So fun, in fact, that she decided she just needed one more final act. Was it really necessary at this point? No, probably not, but it was going to be _fun_, so why not treat herself with some extra mischief?

"Chiemi" was around the corner when Deku walked out of the restaurant, hands covering his face as he muttered something incoherent. She began walking forward, happily falling into her ditsy fangirl routine as Chiemi.

Toga intentionally placed herself in Deku's path, letting out a squeak when he ran into her. "Oh! Oh I'm so sorry, Deku-san, I didn't—" She tilted her head cutely. "Are you alright, Deku-san? I thought you were supposed to be out with Nakano-san?"

He finally looked up from the sidewalk to make eye contact, and she had to hold in a delighted giggle. His eyes were so agonizingly open about how much pain he was in, and it was beautiful.

"Hey, Chiemi-san," he greeted, slapping on an obviously forced smile. "I— we, well, it— yes, we were on a date, but…now we aren't."

Toga blinked (it was just too easy to act dumb). "Oh? Why not?"

Deku swallowed hard. Again, Toga fought back her glee.

"She…do you remember you said Asagao had been seeing the hero with the purple hair?"

And, just like she'd practiced in the mirror, Toga let her jaw drop. "Oh no! I— oh, oh Deku-san," she said, tone laced with empathy she didn't contain.

Broken green eyes dropped down to the sidewalk. "Yeah."

Toga sighed. "I…I'm so sorry about that. To be honest, I thought about telling you about them before— well, I kind of tried to," she laughed awkwardly, "but I thought it'd break your heart! I didn't know what to do!"

The villain watched a thousand emotions run through his eyes. She thought she saw a spark of electric green for a moment, but it faded before she could be sure.

To her dismay, Deku got a grip long enough to politely nod. "Thank you. I'm…I'm sure that was a hard position to be in. Please…" he trailed off. When she gave him an expectant look, he sighed. "Please don't tell anyone about this. I don't want the media turning on her. I'd rather just deal with it ourselves."

Toga bobbed her head up and down. "Of course! I won't tell a soul!" To prove her point, she mimed zipping up her lips. Deku's lips twitched up for half a second. Then, he kept walking, shoulders hunched and hands buried deep in his jacket pockets.

As soon as he turned the corner to a different block, Toga twirled around and finally let out the giggles she'd been trying so hard to contain. Her Deku and her boss were separated now! This was her chance!

The villain skipped away, dreaming of blood and prizes and satisfaction and _winning_.

* * *

**To be continued...**


	23. Chapter 23

**We passed 400 followers and 100k+ words! I think this might be getting close to my longest fic ever, right up there with my Ignition series (which is Marvel, BuckyxOC if you're interested.) Thank you guys again for all of the wonderful reviews!**

**Also another note- I wrote a quick MirioxTamaki one shot. It does have major season 4 spoilers, so be warned if you go read it. **

**Speaking of warnings, enjoy!**

* * *

Asagao was furious.

Yeah, she'd cried like a baby last night. Yeah, she'd called Hana and sobbed out incoherent thoughts to her for hours. Yeah, she'd already considered deleting every single picture she had of him on her phone, but then stopped because she'd started crying again.

But now, she was just _mad._

The woman whipped out her vines, crushing the practice target. She ground her teeth together as she retracted her vines to her side.

Yesterday had been her birthday. Her _birthday_, and he'd come in there and started accusing her of complete bullshit.

Honestly, what right did he have to act like that? He hadn't even let her get a word in, just spouting off nonsense that she couldn't even follow, and for _what?_ What was the point of all that? Did he seriously think that was the best way to communicate?

The memory of his quirk activating made Asa growl, slinging the vines out again and smashing them into another target. Her heart _ached_ and she'd thought that maybe he'd been that stupid "one" people talked about and—

"UGH!" she cried, taking down three targets in a row. The floor was covered in so many bits and pieces of decimated targets that she knew she should be watching where she stepped because yes, she could get cut, but did she care at this point? No, no she really didn't, because nothing could hurt worse than this.

A shot of adrenaline pumped through her with each attack, and it felt _good_. She'd never had an outlet for her temper before, other than ranting or punching a pillow. But this— this felt _amazing_.

She didn't know how long she'd been going. She didn't notice how her gauntleted hand was shaking. She didn't realize her face was clear of dust only where unwanted tears had cleared a path.

Until she tripped over one of her own vines, and she was sent tumbling to the ground.

Asagao bit back a cry of pain when her right knee landed on the hard floor. All at once, the chaos she'd created stopped, and there was silence.

Reality began to hit her all over again. The sun peered through the windows, looking oddly dim. There were clouds of dust from the destroyed targets floating in the streaks of light. And it was quiet, so quiet, except for the sound of her panting, and suddenly, a new round of tears burst out of her.

Trembling hands came up to her face, and she couldn't have held back if she wanted to. She sobbed, loud and pained and echoing in the gym, wondering for the millionth time how she'd wound up in this mess. How the person she loved had turned on her like that. _Why_ the person she loved had turned on her like that.

And just like the last time that question had come up, she didn't have an answer.

The tears dried slowly. Asa grabbed a tissue from the packet she'd stuck in her purse, feeling absolutely pathetic as she blew her nose. She probably looked like a train wreck right now— puffy eyes, red nose, messy hair.

When she walked back over to the practice targets, she felt only slightly calmer than she had before. Violet eyes began to close—

The door to the gym squeaked open.

Asa's breath hitched. There were a couple of options as to who it could be. Aizawa had promised she'd have the place to herself— it wasn't booked for any classes that day, anyway.

Her teeth grit together. A sharp pain went through her heart. If it was Izuku, she couldn't handle him right now. She would tell him to go away and give her space. She would be strong and not run into his arms begging him to explain himself and—

"Asagao?"

The florist spun around immediately, brows scrunched in confusion. Not that she wasn't used to her name, but…since when were she and Shinsou on a first name basis?

He looked burdened and nervous. It was a strange thing to see on his face. Asagao was half-tempted to ignore him and get back to thrashing things, but he was…well, yeah, she would consider them friends now. And she had too much of a heart to be mean to him, even if she was in pain.

Brushing back her hair and doing her best to put on a smile, she replied, "Yeah? What's up?"

The hero approached, and she took a moment to scan him. Fidgeting hands— not normal. Flickering eyes— also not normal. He was even worrying his lip with his teeth, and yeah, something was wrong.

Asa took in a deep, calming breath. A friend needed her help. She had to put her own troubles aside. She could do this.

And then he stopped a mere six inches in front of her, closer than they'd ever been before, and he said, "I…I feel like we need to cut this off."

And no, she really could not do this. "Huh?"

Purple eyes glanced downward, glueing themselves to the space between their feet. "It's just…after what happened with you and Midoriya, we…I don't think this is right," he told her, gesturing between them, and _what?_

Asagao's mind was spinning. Had someone told him about their fight last night? But who— never mind, this was ridiculous! Why should they have to break off their training or their friendship just because her boyfriend was jealous for no reason?

But before she could say what was on her mind, Shinsou continued, "What happened yesterday— I feel like I should've stopped it."

She sputtered, "How could you have stopped it?"

When his head whipped up, there was something in his eyes she couldn't understand. It was like he was saying "you know what I'm talking about," but…no, she didn't really feel like she did, which made all of this so much more confusing. Why did she feel like she was missing something?

He let out a heavy sigh. "Asagao, I just— please, I'm trying to do the right thing, here. Yesterday…that shouldn't have happened, and I'm sorry. We need to cut this off."

It felt like last night all over again, the confusion, anger, and hurt all building to her groaning, "What are you _talking_ about?!"

Her exclamation rang out in the gym, and his eyes went wide, and she threw up her hands. "You're not making any sense!" she shouted, tugging at her hair. "Why is NO ONE making ANY _SENSE?!"_

Shinsou reached a hand out. "Asa—"

"And that!" she continued, pointing at him accusingly (and yes, she was spiraling and no, she did not care). "Since when do you call me that? And who even told you about my fight with Izuku?"

"_You_ did," he stated with an air about him that screamed that she should know this already, but no, she_ didn't_, and she could feel a headache coming on.

After letting out some sort of frustrated noise, Asa hid her face in her hands and took in a deep breath. Why did it feel like the universe was against her today?

One more calming breath later, she dropped her hands to her sides, balling them into fists subconsciously. "Look, I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't talk to anyone about that except for my friend Hana-chan. So stop speaking in riddles and just say _something_ that actually makes sense."

Shinsou blinked at her. She resisted the urge to tap her foot impatiently. Her already short fuse was getting shorter by the second, and she was done with all this cryptic talk. If one more person started accusing her of one more thing she didn't do, she was going to lose it.

"You really don't know what I'm talking about," he finally said.

Her eye twitched. "No, I really don't."

His shoulders sunk. He reached forward, then took a step back. "I…I am so sorry," he murmured. "I didn't intend to lose control of my quirk when you—" Shinsou took in a sharp breath, backing away even more. "I'm sorry. I should go."

But she wasn't finished with him. She wasn't finished with _any_ of this nonsense. "What does your quirk have to do with anything?"

Pained purple eyes met hers. "Yesterday—"

"I didn't even _see_ you yesterday."

"But—"

Asa was _this_ close to whipping out a vine to beat some sense into him. "You—"

"When we kissed!" he burst. "It— you—" Hands went up to grasp at messy violet hair. "Look, I get— it was wrong, you and Midoriya aren't even really broken up, you just— I can't _do_ it like this!"

The florist stared at him, eyes wide, and felt a strange numbness take over her raging emotions. "I-I— what?"

Shinsou flinched as though she'd hit him. "See, I knew I controlled you, and I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry, and that's why we can't—"

"No," she cut him off, holding up a hand. "I mean…_what?_ We both know how your quirk works, Shinsou. I would remember that."

"Unless I made you forget," he replied glumly.

Asa shook her head. "No, shut up, it—" She forced herself to take in a breath. Her mind was tossing around theories rapid fire. Kissed…wait, did that mean that Shinsou…?

"First of all—" she said, then stopped herself. "No, no we can talk about that later. Tell me _exactly_ what happened."

And so he did. And then she told him that she'd been out at lunch with friends. And that Chiemi had been left at the shop. And that there had been no fight between her and Izuku until later that evening.

Her brain scrambled for evidence, and it found it.

_Her blood being drawn as she woke up, hazy from the drugs. A transformation quirk. The news story reporting that the Deku-obsessed villain hadn't been captured—_

And it all seemed to click at once.

Two pairs of purple eyes met, both widening in horror.

"Oh my god."

They ran without a single look back.

* * *

Grey sludge gave way to violet eyes, and they stared at themselves in the mirror. If she wasn't competition, Toga really would find her boss cute. At least she would get to keep her alive for a while longer to siphon off more blood. Asa-chan could be her little pet! Oh, she and Chiemi-chan would become the best of friends!

The villain ran her hands through silky brown locks, mussing it up appropriately, before she nodded approvingly.

* * *

After staring at his phone for the fiftieth time that day, Izuku finally put it on silent mode and stuffed it away in his bedside drawer. His heart was shattered, having taken more damage than any villain could ever dole out, and he had no idea what to do about it. He kept hoping she would call. He kept thinking that he should call her. But what? What could he say? She cheated, denied it, he accidentally powered up his quirk, and honestly, he would say they were pretty equal now in terms of hurting each other's feelings.

Izuku stood there staring blankly at the drawer longer than he'd like to admit. He will never be sure of how much time passed as he deliberated, only that the moment he started to cave and reached toward the drawer to grab his phone to call her, there was a knock at the door.

And he ran. He knew it was her. His heart, his broken, shattered, mangled heart that still loved her regardless of what he saw, knew it was her. So when he opened up the door and saw her staring at him, tears streaming down her beautiful face, he put all of his pain aside and let her run into his arms.

"I'm so sorry!" Asagao sobbed into his chest.

"Shh," Izuku soothed, and he ran his fingers through her hair the way he knew she liked. She smelled like _home_. His heart twisted. "I've got you. I'm sorry, too."

"N-No, I just," she sniffled, "I was so overwhelmed, and I couldn't find the words, and— Izuku, I— he _made_ me kiss him."

His blood froze. "What?"

His girlfriend shook her head, soft hair tickling his chin. "I felt so ashamed, but he— he came in, and all it took was a few words, and he used his quirk on me, and I— I couldn't figure out how to tell you!"

The familiar sensations of One for All coursing through his veins itching to be let loose were hard to fight off, but he did. Swallowing hard, he said, "Let me handle this. What he did was sexual assault. The victim is never to blame."

Asagao shivered in his grasp, and Izuku held her tighter. He couldn't believe this. Why would Shinsou—? Never mind, that wasn't important right now. He would deal with him later. His girlfriend was still crying, and she needed him.

"Come on," he murmured. "Let's go sit down. You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to, but I'm here to listen."

Asa made some sort of keening noise. She didn't resist his gentle tug to lead her over to his couch. When they sat down, she immediately got onto his lap and hid her face against his chest.

And so, they sat there in silence. He stroked her back, whispered things he hoped would help, and beat himself up for thinking that someone as wonderful as her would cheat. And as for Shinsou, well…Izuku couldn't think about that for too long without getting riled up again. Justice would come, he knew. But part of him wanted to go and serve that justice himself.

The tears eventually stopped, and when she looked up at him with red eyes, he smiled softly. "Want some fruit? I got your favorite the other day— I could cut it up for you real quick."

Asagao shook her head. She opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out. Her eyes were searching his, and Izuku was surprised when he realized he could see thinly veiled want in them.

"I…" she trailed off, swallowing. That gorgeous violet gaze flickered down to his lips. "I need to…to get what he did out of my head. I need— I need _you_."

* * *

"He's not picking up his phone," Asagao growled. "Seriously?! He puts it on mute _now_ of all times?!"

"You two did have an argument last night," Shinsou supplied unhelpfully, and honestly, Asa was pretty sure that he knew he deserved the glare she tossed him.

Moments later, the hero's car screeched to a stop outside of her boyfriend's building. The pair wasted no time in dashing up the stairs. Her heart was racing, and she kept thinking about how she should've known, but how _could_ she have? According to Shinsou, Toga was about the best there was at infiltration and deception (so good even he hadn't noticed, which is still weird to think about considering that Toga and he apparently _kissed_, for, like, a _while_, but that line of thought was for another time).

They arrived at Izuku's apartment, panting but fueled by endless adrenaline, and it only took a nod before Shinsou kicked the door wide open.

What she saw made her vision go red.

On the couch was a copy of her draped over Izuku, lips an inch from his.

And she snapped.

"What are you _doing?!"_ her voice cried out from her left, and it took her half a second to realize what Shinsou's plan was.

The fake-Asagao turned around, feigning shock. "W-What is that?! I—"

And she fell under a trance.

Shinsou lowered his imitator mask just as Asa whipped out a vine from a gifted houseplant, and _man_, did it feel good to see that dazed villain tied up and forced against the wall.

At some point in the chaos, Izuku had jumped up from the couch, stammering and looking (in retrospect, hilariously) confused. But Shinsou and Asagao ignored him, stalking up to the villain in disguise.

"Release your quirk," Shinsou commanded.

A gasp that was undeniably Izuku's cut through the tension as the fake-Asagao melted away into a young woman with razor sharp incisors, acidic eyes, and blonde hair.

"I'll take it from here," Shinsou muttered. He produced a pair of quirk-inhibiting handcuffs from seemingly nowhere. Asa let the vines fall.

"Wh-What, I— I don't—"

The florist finally turned around. Smoldering violet eyes burned into shocked green. She didn't miss how he swallowed nervously.

* * *

"And the girl you impersonated, Chiemi-san. Where is she?"

"Oh, tied up in my basement," Toga giggled obliviously. She was creepily happy for someone under a brainwashing quirk. "I was gonna put Asa-chan there, too. It's really nice— I even feed her once a day!"

Shinsou looked like he was ready to punch her in the face. Then again, he'd been looking like that for the entire duration of the interrogation. "What is the address of your base of operations?"

When the villain began rattling off an address that was far too close to where her apartment was, Asagao turned around and walked out. She missed how Toga waved at her through the two-way glass. She didn't miss the sound of footsteps following her out.

The offer to watch the interrogation at the police station had been too tempting. Asagao had taken it out of this weird, angry desperation to know what all had been happening right under her nose for months. Now, she just felt sick to her stomach and couldn't bear to hear another word of it.

There was a brush against her hand. "Hey—"

"Hi," she responded shortly. She and Izuku hadn't spoken since the incident. It was hours later, and both of them had already been questioned, and she was exhausted and just not in the mood for this.

Her boyfriend jogged to be at her side, and he gave her a careful look. "We need to talk about this."

"Ah yes, talking. The thing you wouldn't let me do last night."

Izuku sighed. "Asagao, you know why I was acting that way—"

She spun on her heel. "You could've talked to me," she bit out, effectively shutting him up. "You could've told me you were jealous. We could've talked this out. So why didn't you?"

He was groaning and tugging at his curls frustratedly, and yes, the middle of a hallway at a police station was not a good place for a fight, but neither was a fancy restaurant on her birthday, so too bad for him. "Of course I didn't talk to you about it, look at how mad you are," he said, expression pained.

"I'm mad because it got this far and it wouldn't have if you'd just _talked to me,_" she stressed. "And _apparently_ you totally believe that I would cheat. _That's_ why I'm mad."

Izuku was stammering, looking at her hopelessly, and she knew she was out of control. She knew they'd been played. She knew that if she'd walked in on him kissing some other girl, of _course_ she would believe he was cheating on her. But she was just angry and upset and she couldn't think straight anymore.

"Fine, I was jealous," he admitted. He looked like the words made him want to throw up. "I was jealous, and I wanted to talk to you about it, but I was too anxious to."

Asagao threw her hands up in the air. "Why?! I've always understood your anxiety in the past! What would make this any different? Why would you—"

"Because I'm scared of losing you!"

The florist stared at him, violet eyes wide. He looked terrified, as though he had never intended for those words to come out. But now, they were out, and it was like he'd opened the floodgates.

Glancing around, Izuku grabbed her hand and pulled her into an empty conference room. She rounded on him when he shut and locked the door, ready to stomp right back out, when he put his hands on her shoulders.

"Do you know how much of a risk I'm taking with you?" he asked. Each syllable cut through the air like a knife, yet for how tense he sounded, she could see tears filling his eyes. "_Yes,_ I was jealous, and I was too anxious to talk to you because I was afraid that you'd leave me, and I'm so scared I'm going to lose you either to villains or someone else or both, and I'm just _terrified_, Asagao."

Her mouth hung open, fiery tongue turned to lead.

"I…" he trailed off, and his eyes looked down at her lips, and if she had more self control, she would've resisted, but she didn't.

Their lips crashed into one another, hot and angry and so, so desperate. It only took a second for him to pick her up, and she forced his mouth open with her tongue as she wrapped her legs around his waist. They battled it out, groaning and panting and both wishing that somehow this would fix everything.

Asagao's breath hitched when she was laid down on the conference room table, and she shivered when he crawled on top of her. Lips went down to her neck, wanting and worshiping, and she fisted his hair in her hand, her back arching as she let her body be washed over with waves of desire.

Her hips rolled into his, and Izuku had to stop kissing her neck to moan. She was quick to grab his face and pull it back towards hers. Their lips met again. They moved against one another feverishly, and she could feel undeniable arousal stirring in the air, and all she wanted to do was flip them over and try to find just the right spot on his neck to make him groan.

But then, something wet was landing on her face, and Izuku tore himself away from her. Her eyes, dilated and dark, flashed open to see tears in his.

"I can't have you be in these situations anymore," he croaked hoarsely. "I care about you too much. And this one, I feel like I caused it myself."

Her heart, still beating rapidly with passion, froze. "So what, we're done?"

Green and violet stared at each other for ten tense, horrifically long seconds.

"I-I," he stammered, and that's when she knew it. He wasn't going to fight for her. For them.

Asagao pushed him off of her and stalked out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

* * *

**To the reviewer who said that the last chapter made you so sad and you didn't know how you were supposed to be a bridesmaid at a wedding feeling so sad like that...I am so sorry. Don't worry, though, this story is far from over!  
**


	24. Chapter 24

**And we're back! Quick side note: season four is honestly so amazing and I have now adopted Kirishima and Tamaki they are my children okay enjoy.  
**

* * *

December first: Izuku felt like a kid again, crying in front of his mother and blubbering nonsensically, except for this time, it wasn't because of burns or bullying, but because of something he himself did.

"I l-love her, I do," he sobbed. "A-And I want to go to her and make things right, but—"

"—but she asked for space," his mother reminded him gently, and he started crying harder. The moment he'd gotten that text from Asagao, his heart had shattered. Wasn't asking for space what people did before they broke up?

A tissue came into his blurred vision. He accepted it gratefully, blowing his nose into it and then adding it to the pile in front of him. His mother's hand rubbed his back soothingly.

"I know you love her," she whispered. "It wouldn't hurt this much if you didn't. I think…I think space can sometimes be good. Plenty of couples need space from time to time, and you two have been through a lot. Maybe she just needs a while to process it."

"But I want to be there _with her,_" he said for what felt like the millionth time. "I messed up, and I want to make things _right_."

His mother sighed softly. "The right thing to do right now is to respect her wishes. Give her time. Give her space. And take this time to reflect on what's been going on inside that big brain of yours."

Izuku sniffed. "What is there to think on? I messed up. That's it."

Green eyes just like his shifted into something more stern. "Now now, Izuku, thinking like that won't help. Why did you mess up?"

"Because I dated her and put her in danger."

She shook her head, sighing again and getting up from the couch. The hero watched as his mother went over and poured them both a cup of tea from the pot. "Try to see beyond your perspective, Izuku," she said. "You're seeing things in black and white— either be with her or protect her. Things just don't work like that."

His eyebrows scrunched up in confusion, despair clear in his eyes. "But ever since we started dating, all that's happened to her is bad!"

"And what about beforehand?"

Glassy green eyes stared blankly. His mother smiled softly, pushing a warm mug into his hands.

"Do you think bad things didn't happen in her life before she met you?" Inko questioned.

The gears in Izuku's mind began spinning, because _of course_ there were bad things in Asagao's life before he entered it, but that didn't stop him from feeling like some sort of curse.

When he couldn't find an adequate response, his mother patted his hair. "Bad things always happen in this world, dating a hero or not. You can't stop that."

"But I can keep her from being in more danger than usual," he argued back weakly.

His mother gave him a long, steady look. "Like I said, just think things over, okay?"

Izuku swallowed hard. "Okay."

* * *

December second: Asagao was finally getting back to work. The girls— the ones who were _real_, and yes, they'd checked— had been covering the shop while she recuperated. She'd gone to see a therapist that specialized in heroes and their loved ones. She'd wallowed in misery for a few days, then gotten up, dusted herself off, and decided it was time to return to life.

When she walked in, flicking on the lights and hearing the shop bell jingle, it didn't quite feel…there. The therapist said it might be like that for a while. It was a place marked with memories, both good and bad. Violet eyes glanced around, seeing ghosts of Izuku, Shinsou, and Chiemi everywhere, laughing, talking, smiling, and—

Her heart rate was spiking.

She took in a calming breath.

Muscle memory guided her behind the counter to stow away her things. As she tied her apron, she found her fingers trembling. How long had she been gone? How many days of work had she missed since dating Izuku because she'd had to deal with the emotional backlash of trauma?

Another deep breath.

'Flowers,' she thought. Those would help. They always had.

She pushed her way back into the greenhouse and immediately regretted it when she saw the wall off to the side. No, she hadn't seen it herself, but Shinsou's story and Toga's interrogation had made it clear. That was the spot where she'd lured him in. And where she was standing was most likely where Izuku had been when she saw them.

She felt sick. Her stomach churned, and despite her flowers' desperate cries to let them help, she dashed out of the room and threw her head down onto the counter, breathing heavily.

It took minutes to calm the chaos of her mind, and once she had, she dialed a now far too familiar number. It only rang once.

"I've made up my mind."

"Are you sure?" Aizawa's voice rumbled over the line, monotone, but caring and oddly soothing.

Asagao took in a shaky breath. "Yes."

"Okay. I'll see how soon I can set it up."

* * *

December third: He misses her. He misses her more than he'd ever missed anyone, more than he ever thought possible. She ran through his mind every waking moment, and he honestly doesn't know how he's kept himself from running to her apartment and begging for her to give him a chance to be better, to not be jealous, to put aside his anxiety, to trust her, to let him wrap her in his arms and not let go.

Izuku felt heavy and slow. He moved with half the speed he usually did, as though the weight of their fracturing relationship was a real, genuine weight that was dragging him down.

With all that being said, he was obviously distracted. And that's how he wound up here, sprawled out on the ground, a solid icy punch having sent him there.

"Good hit," Izuku gasped out, rolling over onto his back.

Shoto stared down at him. Over the years, Izuku had learned to read the subtle emotions in those blank heterochromic eyes. Right now, the look they had radiated sympathy.

When Izuku didn't make a move to get up, his best friend offered a hand. Izuku took it gratefully and walked over to grab his water bottle. As he chugged it down, he could still feel Shoto's gaze.

"Need to talk?"

Izuku immediately shook his head. "Maybe later."

Shoto nodded.

Later came that night at Izuku's apartment, a couple drinks in and Izuku blabbing nonsense about how there would never be another girl like Asagao ever again. He'd been doing this for almost an hour now, but Shoto didn't seem tired of him yet, and the number one pro hero really just needed a listening ear right now.

But soon, the alcohol really started to settle in, and the early buzz gave way to a dull, sleepy pulsing throughout his body. Izuku finally stopped rambling, and Shoto took his cue.

"So…why aren't you with her?"

Izuku startled out of his daze and looked up. Shoto's head was tilted in confusion, as if he genuinely didn't see what the issue was.

"I-I can't— she keeps getting into all these crazy situations with me, and," he groaned, sliding a hand down his face. "And I love her and so I don't want to do that to her, so I can't be with her because I love her, and it all makes perfect sense."

But no, apparently it didn't, because Shoto shook his head. "I've never seen you back down from a challenge before. If she means that much to you, then…" he sighed. "I don't know, you know I'm not very good at this stuff, but—"

"I know what you're trying to say," Izuku cut him off with a whisper. "I just…I can't let anything happen to her. Not again."

"That's an impossible goal, Midoriya-kun."

"…I guess."

* * *

December fourth: "…this is weird."

The girl before her smiled awkwardly. "You could say that."

Asagao could tell the difference now, though it was still subtle. It was all in her eyes. Where before there had been feigned emotion, now there was startling genuineness shining through.

But the longer she stared into those grey eyes, the longer she became uncomfortable, and Asa's gaze quickly turned down to the hospital floor.

"I—"

"You don't need to apologize."

The florist swallowed harshly. "I feel like I should."

There was the rustling of crisp sheets. Asa forced herself to look up. Chiemi, the real Chiemi, had a bittersweet grin on her face.

"I appreciate it," she said through dry, cracked, pale lips that had a cut streaking across them. The girl reached up to push some of her hair out of her eyes, and that only drew Asa's attention to the handcuff scars around her wrists, and the bruises on her face, and the scrapes that littered seemingly every surface of her body. "But I know you never wanted this. You're not the one who did this to me."

Asagao's throat hurt as she tried to hold back the sting of tears. "N-No, I wasn't, but…I still feel responsible in some way."

"And I feel responsible in some ways, too," Chiemi shrugged placidly. "She chose me for my quirk. It was used to help her plans. I'll always think about that and what it did to you guys. How you must see me now."

The florist shook her head rapidly, "You can't blame yourself like that—"

"And you can't either."

There was a brief silence during which Asa had to really, really force herself to not cry. Just like Aizawa had told her, Chiemi was nothing but a sweet, understanding girl. Asa would never forgive herself for the fact that this poor soul got dragged into her relationship drama.

"Neither of us are to blame," Chiemi stated. "We were played. Used. Victims can't shoulder the blame. The only one who is to blame is behind bars, now."

The florist managed a watery grin. "Right."

The two chatted for a little while longer before the doctor came in. Asagao didn't fight when she was asked to leave, only stopping long enough to give Chiemi her phone number and tell her that if she ever needed anything, _anything_, she would do it.

When Asagao walked out of the hospital, she found that she only felt marginally better than she had when she'd first walked in. She stared up at the grey December sky, wondering how many others would get hurt if she stayed with Izuku. How many more hospital visits she would have. How many other victims there would be— including herself.

* * *

December fifth: Izuku really should've seen this coming.

He stared at Kacchan blankly. "What?"

Scoffing, the number two pro hero pushed past him, barging into Izuku's apartment. "Put on somethin' warm— we're going out."

Izuku held in a sigh. There would be no point in resisting. As he grabbed his nearest coat and shrugged it on, he asked, "Where are we going?"

"Dinner," Kacchan grunted. "Ei said it would help."

Despite how numb he felt, the corner of Izuku's lips turned up. He remembered doing something similar back when Kacchan and Kirishima had a big fight during their third year at UA. He'd gone to Kirishima's dorm room and knocked until he'd gotten an answer, then dragged the teary-eyed hero out to eat.

A few months later, Kirishima had pulled him aside and thanked him profusely for that. Looked like it was time for him to return the favor.

"Is Kirishima-kun meeting us there?"

"Yeah. He just got off work. Was s'posed to be a date night."

Izuku's hand froze above where he'd been reaching for his keys. "Kacchan, I don't want to—"

"It's fine!" his friend shouted. "It was my idea! You're being annoying so we had to do something, okay?!"

Warmth filled Izuku's broken heart. "Thanks, Kacchan."

"Tch, come on, Deku. I'm not gonna be late because of you. We have a reservation."

The pair settled into a strangely peaceful silence as they left the apartment building. Silence just…wasn't typically a part of a hero's life. There were always war cries and explosions and concrete cracking and people weeping and when that becomes your everyday life, not having it even momentarily feels weird.

"So you gonna talk or what?"

Ah, that was better.

Izuku cleared his throat. "About what?"

A fiery red glare was sent his way. "Don't give me that shit. I know you and flower girl are on a break. So _talk_."

A bit of panic flitted through Izuku's heart. "W-We're not on a break, it's— she just needs space."

Kacchan snorted and stuffed his hands into his pockets. "Space, break, it's all the same."

"R-Right."

The top two heroes fell into silence again as Izuku contemplated what to say.

"I…I love her."

"You tell her yet?"

"No, I— we hadn't gotten to that."

Kacchan fixed him with an incredulous look. "Seriously? You haven't told her yet? So she's out there wanting space and doesn't even know how you feel about her?"

Izuku's shoulders drooped. "She knows I care—"

"Not the same," Kacchan cut him off, shaking his head. "Gotta man up and tell her."

"You sound like your fiancé," Izuku quipped.

There was a growl. "Shut up, it's true and you know it. You either love her enough to act on your feelings, or you don't and you lose her. That's it."

Izuku was still thinking Kacchan's words over when he was greeted with a hug from Kirishima fifteen minutes later.

* * *

December sixth: She was in a mini dress and the highest pair of heels she owned. Lights were flashing, music was pumping, but it wasn't enough to drown out her thoughts, especially when she spotted a man with green hair across the room.

And it wasn't him— of course it wasn't, she could spot him from a mile away. But the sight of it still made her heart ache.

She was pretty sure she'd stopped breathing when she thought she saw him. Her feet had moved on their own accord, and she was getting closer, closer, not knowing what she could possibly say—

And then the man had turned around, and she'd felt like an idiot.

Now, she was at the bar, tracing the rim of her half-drunk glass of wine. Violet eyes drifted to the door for the millionth time. She didn't want to be here anymore. Honestly, she hadn't wanted to be from the start, but Hana had been so sure that this might help her get her mind off things.

But, as Asagao had found, it was impossible to get your mind off of the person who held your heart.

Sighing, she slipped off the barstool and began weaving her way through the crowd to the exit. As soon as she was outside, she shot off a text to Hana saying she was going home. Hana had been pretty excited to check out this new club, and Asa didn't feel like ruining her fun.

You would think she'd know her best friend by now.

Asagao had only made it twenty feet before there was the tale-tell sound of high heels clicking on the sidewalk. Hana was at her side in seconds, panting and giving her a guilty grin.

"Sorry, I lost track of you in there!" she apologized. "Not doing it for you?"

The florist tried to give a grin back. "Not really. Sorry."

Hana immediately shook her head. "No apologies— if it's not helping, it's not helping. Ice cream and movies back at your place?"

Asagao nodded, but then made a face. "No rom-coms, though. Or hero movies."

"Got it! There's this new spy series on Netflix—"

Her friend chattered away, going into the details of how she'd heard about the show from a friend of a friend at work. Asa wasn't really paying attention. All she could think about was green hair and that stupid bit of hope that had sparked in her chest when she saw it.

* * *

December seventh: Izuku felt like an idiot because honestly, who makes a pros and cons list on whether a relationship was worth it or not? That wikihow article had to be lying when it said this would be helpful.

Green eyes trailed down the list again, and again, the hero felt conflicted.

Pros of being in a relationship:

-Get to be with her  
-She's amazing  
-She's very supportive  
-She's beautiful  
-I've never loved anyone as much as her before  
-She's one of a kind  
-She makes me so happy  
-Being around her is the best feeling in the world

Cons of being in a relationship:

-Might get jealous again  
-My anxiety gets in the way  
-She's not safe

After some hesitation, Izuku added a question mark to the end of the last one. He'd been getting the same message over and over again from everyone that her being with him didn't mean imminent danger, but he still didn't quite buy it. Maybe it was because he'd been thrust into dangerous situations since his first year at UA, and that had taught him the lesson early on that people you cared about could get hurt at any moment.

That age-old anxiety was beginning to make his head spin again. He grabbed his phone and dialed a number, and like always, it was answered quickly.

"Midoriya-kun!" Iida boomed. "Is it another panic attack? Do you need my assistance?"

Izuku smiled feebly. "I'm not having one, I just…I can feel one coming on."

"Ah, I see. Do you want to talk about it or have a distraction? Momo will not be home for a little while longer, so no worries about anyone overhearing!"

"Thanks, Iida-kun," Izuku breathed. "I, um, I think I want to talk about it. It's about Asagao. I made— ugh, this sounds so stupid, I made a pros and cons list about staying with her— n-not that I don't want to not be with her, I _do_, but—"

"I think that is a wise idea," Iida cut in, and Izuku realized his heart rate had been going up again. "Weighing the good and bad of any big decision is normal!"

"I-I guess so." Green eyes flickered back over the page. "I just…the pros are longer than the cons, but the cons feel bigger than the pros in some ways. Does that make sense?"

"Which one scares you the most?"

Izuku's heart twisted. "Her being in danger because of me."

"Ah, I believe we've had this discussion before, Midoriya-kun. Perhaps I should put it in a different light— do you recall after the Hosu incident when Todoroki-kun believed he was cursed?"

Despite himself, Izuku let out a laugh. "The hand-crusher curse?"

"Yes, exactly! He thought that everyone he was in association with would have their hand damaged, but was he responsible for that?"

"No, he—" Izuku's breath caught when he realized what Iida was saying.

"Midoriya-kun, no one can protect their loved ones from all harm. When Momo gets hurt, I hurt with her, but I am not to blame. When your mother was diagnosed with cancer, were you to blame?"

The tears were coming now. "N-No."

"That's correct," Iida said gently. "All you can do when bad things happen is stay and support, just like Asagao did when you were shot."

A sick feeling entered his stomach when another realization hit him— every time she'd been hurt, he'd run. He hadn't stayed. He'd panicked and left and distanced himself out of fear. She'd been constant. He hadn't. And now that she was the one doing what he'd done—

His heart shattered even more. Was this what that had felt like to her?

"—riya-kun? Are you still there?"

Izuku's breath hitched. "Y-Yeah, I…I am. Just thinking over some things, that's all. How is the wedding planning going?"

"Oh, it's fantastic! Momo picked up her dress last week and has been hiding it in the coat closet, something about a superstition, and I—"

* * *

December eighth: As much as she'd tried to avoid anything hero-related, it was pretty much impossible in Tokyo.

So here she was, grocery bags in hand, tip toeing over rubble and doing her best to avoid the cameras. Thankfully, most of them were congregated over by a building with a blast mark on it.

There was also a huge crowd of fans mobbing the presumed hero, and yeah, she was glad she was wearing a beanie today. It might not help much, but it should help her not get recognized so quickly.

Unfortunately, the path to her apartment did require her to skirt around the edge of the crowd. She kept her head down and eyes on the ground, only opening her mouth to say the occasional "excuse me" to a screaming fan.

Asagao was almost through, close to the crowd's exit point, when she felt a stare on her. The word "paranoia" flitted through her mind— the therapist had said she might experience it for a while. And so, as covertly as she could, Asa looked back behind her.

She didn't expect to meet piercing red eyes.

Of course. Of course it was Bakugo. That was just her luck.

The two stared at each other awkwardly, and honestly, she didn't know what to expect. What she didn't expect, however, was…empathy?

A glare would've made more sense. A snarl would've made more sense. _Anything_ would have made more sense than soft look he was giving her, eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, and mouth dropped open like he was about to call out to her.

But before he could, she turned and walked away.

That look haunted her for the rest of the day.

* * *

December ninth: Her flower shop had won an award.

"Best Local Flower Shop of the Year" the post on Twitter said. Izuku stared at it, his heart increasingly becoming more and more jumbled up with each passing second.

It had been well over a week now since they'd spoken. Since they'd seen each other. Since he'd heard anything about her. He'd made sure to not follow her social media too closely to give her the space she wanted, but this had popped up from a local news station, and he…he couldn't just ignore it, could he?

Izuku loved her. He did, he really did, and all everyone had been telling him lately was that you stay through the bad times, and right now, they were going through a bad time, and—

Maybe he was just looking for an excuse to talk to her, but he also just really _really_ wanted to be the boyfriend he should've been from the beginning.

The pro hero typed out more drafts of the text than he would like to admit before he sent the final one.

**Izuku:** Congratulations on the award, Asagao. You deserve it more than anyone I know.

* * *

December tenth: The shop was empty in between bridal appointments, and she was staring at her phone screen again.

She hadn't replied to his text yet. When she'd gotten it last night, she thought her heart would burst, and she was sort of mad that he'd broken the unspoken rules of "giving space," but also far too happy to just hear something from him, anything at all. Getting the news of that award hadn't felt as exciting without someone to share it with, and yet…she still just didn't know what to say back for some reason.

Asagao's heart still ached. She still felt conflicted. She still _loved_ him.

She knew she loved him, and she knew she wouldn't be able to stop loving him. He was sunshine and warmth and kindness and laughter and gentleness and safety and everything she could possibly ever want, and everything that had happened was just because of some villain trying to mess things up.

But she still hurt.

Swallowing hard, she turned her phone off and tucked it away. Her next appointment wouldn't be in for another ten minutes, and the girls had gone out to get lunch for them all. She needed a distraction.

A minute later, Asagao was dusting pollen off the shelves. She hummed quietly as she did so— it wasn't a happy tune, but it was there. Her flowers gave her sweet whispered encouragements. She hadn't been singing to them lately. It was nice to see progress.

As the florist moved to a different shelf, she picked up on a scent other than the ever-present floral perfume that filled the shop. It smelled like…gas?

A sound like multiple gunshots going off at once pierced through the quiet.

Eyes wide, Asagao raised a cocoon of vines to protect her—

The blast rocked through the building. She flew through the air and landed roughly against the wall, crying out. Asa registered pulsing pain in her head before everything went black.

* * *

**Please leave a review! I know I'm leaving you on another cliffhanger, but just hold on tight!**


	25. Chapter 25

**Reviewer: how much of this is based off of your dating experience? **

**My sarcastic ass: ah yes, it was about two years ago when my partner and I were nearly torn apart by a shape shifting villain- **

**Lol but actually, that's kind of a tough question, so I'll say this: all works show something about an author's personal experiences, and in this particular story, I've been infusing emotional, mental health, and coming out stuff, as well as the quirkless stuff because to me it's treated a bit like racism, which I've experienced due to being biracial. And tbh, when I write fanfics, I write men the way I wish they were (though not without flaws) because I've dated some sucky guys.**

**Thanks again for all your support! Enjoy!**

* * *

As soon as Izuku got the alert, One for All was shooting his body full force into the air. It was an explosion caused by a gas leak. At the restaurant that shared a wall with Asagao's flower shop. And it was a work day.

All the advice he'd been given for the past ten days flooded his head all at once, but one stuck out among the whirlwind—

_"Seriously? You haven't told her yet? So she's out there wanting space and doesn't even know how you feel about her?"_

Izuku grit his teeth as he hopped from building to building. He'd nearly lost her twice already to villains without telling her how he felt. That cowardice ended today.

He skidded to a halt outside the shop. The scene before him was familiar: broken glass, plumes of smoke, and shattered walls. But it was _her shop_. This wasn't just another rescue. Not by a long shot.

The hero charged in. There were sirens in the distance, but he didn't hear them. All he could hear was the crackling of flames burning all around him, and his own blood rushing through his ears from barely controlled panic. Green eyes searched, and—

And there she was.

She looked oddly angelic, lying on the floor wrapped in a nest of vines. His heart twisted. She must have known. She must have tried to protect herself.

Izuku swept her off the ground in an instant. He nearly cried when she let out a sigh, nuzzling her cheek into his chest. Then, he walked out, activated One for All, and took off.

* * *

There was wind whistling in her ears. It was blowing on her face, too— cold and sharp. Her head felt filled with fluff, and her eyes were heavy, but she forced herself to open them.

If she'd been more alert, Asagao would have panicked.

But no, she just stared blankly at the passing cityscape, her fuzzy brain not able to figure out what was going on. She'd…okay, there had been…what happened?

"Asagao?"

The florist blinked up. Relieved green eyes met hers.

"You're awake," he whispered. The grip on her back and legs tightened. Oh, she was being carried. She scrunched her eyebrows in confusion when the hero locked his jaw. "Don't worry, we'll be home soon."

Home…where had she been before that? Where was she— why would she not be home? Unless…

"The flower shop?" she rasped.

Izuku swallowed hard. "There was a gas leak. It— it's a mess."

A mess? But why would it be a mess?

Asa couldn't put all the pieces together. So she just sighed and snuggled into his hold. He was warm, the wind was not. She wished he could block her from it.

"—can't fall asleep."

"Mm?"

"It looked like you hit your head, Asagao. You can't fall asleep. You might have a concussion."

Well that sounded silly. She felt tired, so she should sleep. Maybe if she just rested her eyes for a bit—

An impact shook her back to reality.

"Sorry," Izuku grunted. "Wasn't my best landing."

Violet eyes, just a bit more alert now, scanned their location. It was a porch— oh wait, she knew where they were.

Sure enough, Izuku pushed his apartment porch door open with his foot and carried her inside. Funny, it smelled like home. She hadn't been here in a while…why was that again?

Asagao tried to remember the last time they'd seen each other as she was settled down sitting upright on the couch. The room tilted, but she stayed focused. It had been a while ago, hadn't it? They'd had a fight, right? And she'd asked for space…why had she done that again? Couldn't they—

"Do you feel any pain?"

The florist was taken out of her wandering thoughts by a piercing green gaze. He had knelt down in front of her. He looked worried.

"Um…I don't know," she said.

Izuku nodded. "Can you concentrate enough to tell if there's pain? I know it might be hard, but—"

"Why am I here?"

The hero's mouth dropped open. "I, um…I don't know, I guess the hospital would have been smarter, but I wasn't really thinking and—"

"I'm not supposed to be here," she continued, unable to stop. Memories were coming back as the fog in her mind lifted. "We— we weren't seeing each other. I shouldn't be here," she repeated.

Something in those green eyes cracked. "I-I know, but— I got the alert, and I—"

She frowned. "I asked for space—"

"That doesn't count when you're in danger—"

"It wasn't a villain attack—"

"I know!"

Asa blinked owlishly. She'd forgotten how weird it was to hear Izuku's voice raised. But it wasn't out of anger, it was…something else. His hands were in his hair, and his head was down, and with him kneeling like that, it was almost like he was bowing, his face inches from her knees.

"I know you asked for space," the hero said softly. "But no matter what is going on between us, you _can't_ ask me to not save you. You're the most important person in my life, Asagao. Villains or freak accident or whatever, I'm going to be there."

She'd thought her mind had been clearing, but now it felt like she'd hit her head all over again. "Most important person in your life? But we…how can you—"

His head whipped up. "I know, I haven't done my best to show it." Asa blinked when he opened his mouth, then shut it, shaking his head. "I-I should've done a lot of things better, and I _will_ because I love you, and—"

The pair froze in tandem.

The words. The words he hadn't said. The words she'd kept inside because she didn't want him to feel pressured to say them back. He'd said them. He'd—

"Oh my god," she whispered.

For a second, Izuku looked mildly horrified that those words had spilled out. But then, he schooled his expression into one of determination, taking her hands in his. "Asagao, I—"

She cut him off with her lips.

The groan he let out was utterly inappropriate, or at least it would have been if she didn't sigh in return. The past two weeks melted away, leaving them in a desperate haze of want and need.

Though he was still kneeling, he straightened up to his full height. Unthinkingly, Asa slipped her legs around his waist, and he took his cue. Warm hands came under her thighs and lifted her up. There were footsteps, but she didn't really care where he was taking her. So long as their lips stayed connected, she was happy.

When they entered a darkened room, a shot of desire ran through her. It was the blinds— he always kept them closed in his bedroom. Even though it was midday, they were suddenly enveloped in the heat of night's shadows, and she had to hold in a needy whimper when she was lowered ever so gently down onto his bed.

It must have come out, though, because suddenly, Izuku ripped their lips apart. "You _have_ to stop getting into trouble like this," he groaned. "I'm still just so scared, Asagao. I don't know what to do, and— _mphf!"_

She rolled her eyes as she attacked his mouth with hers. If she had to hear that nonsense again, she was going to lose it. She'd just gotten him back— they could figure everything else out later.

He was trying to mumble something against her lips, though, and so she broke away. "I love you too, idiot," she panted.

Gorgeous, glassy green eyes stared down at her in disbelief. "…so what do we _do?"_ His tone was torn, desperate, and pleading— as if he really didn't know the answer.

Asa gave him a fond (but definitely exasperated) look. "You act like it's all black and white, either we're together or we're not."

Izuku frowned. "Everyone keeps telling me that, but isn't it? Isn't it black and white? Aren't those the options?"

She shook her head, "No, not when you view being together as equaling me being in danger, and vice versa. Today proves that bad things will happen with or without you. So the real question is—"

"Stay with me through the good and the bad," he murmured in realization.

An eyebrow quirked up playfully. "Is that a question or—?"

The hero crashed his lips into hers. Asa sighed, cupping his face and really hoping that this time, they were done talking, but nope—

He ripped himself away from her again. "It's me begging you to be with me because I can't imagine not having you," he replied.

And god, the look on his face was just so serious and adorable. "You don't have to beg," she laughed. "If I didn't want you, don't you think I would've left after the kidnapping incident?" she pointed out.

Something darkened in that wistful gaze. "Want…me?" he repeated breathily.

The atmosphere in the room shifted. Suddenly, the air felt thick and heavy, and a spark they'd been ignoring for too long caught fire. They stared at each other, eyes half-lidded and only hesitating because they knew they wouldn't be able to stop once they started. They were on the edge of a cliff. One tiny push, and they'd go over.

They leaned in at the same time.

Their lips meeting again was the final shove. Her hands found their way to his hero costume zipper, and she felt his wandering to the buttons of her shirt. As soon as her fingers had access, Asa grazed her touch over his chest. Her hero shivered. His hips rolled into hers automatically, and she knew she was doomed in the best way possible.

Asa fought back whimpers as each button of her shirt came undone. His touches were teasing, just barely brushing against her skin, and she wanted _more_, so much more than what he was giving her.

The florist whined against his mouth impatiently, pushing her hips up against his to get the message across.

"Hnn," he moaned, breaking the kiss.

Eyes blown wide with passion flew open. "Izuku, please— _ah!"_

He'd found a different spot to focus on. Her hero pressed hot, open-mouthed kisses to her neck, trailing down to her shoulder and back up again. When she let out a particularly loud moan, he bit down, sucking and marking her and sending her head spinning.

"I-Izuku!" she gasped.

He released her neck from his teeth, laving his tongue dangerously over soft skin. "Yes, my love?"

She shuddered at the new nickname. "I-I— I love you, please, I—"

He came back up and pressed a gentle kiss to her lips. "Shh, I know," he whispered. "Me too."

Asa nodded shakily. His hands were toying with her waistband, now, and she thought her heart would explode. He let himself explore a little, dipping his thumbs underneath and rubbing circles into her hips, all the while watching as her back arched with frustrated pleasure.

And then, he stopped.

Hazy violet eyes shifted from staring at the ceiling to him, and she nearly choked on her breath. He was slipping off his hero costume, leaving only his briefs underneath, and her hands were scrambling for her own clothes when they were caught.

"Let me," he murmured. Green eyes gazed steadily into hers as he pressed soft kisses to her fingers. "If that's okay with you."

She wanted to hit him in the head because _yes_, that was more than okay with her, but instead, she just nodded again and again and watched as he stripped her slowly of her pants. He folded them up neatly and placed them on the side of the bed before his eyes made their way back to her. She watched his Adam's apple bob as he swallowed. She could understand the feeling.

He lowered himself back down to her, and both of them shuddered. They weren't completely skin to skin— their undergarments were still on (but for how much longer, neither could be sure). But it was soft and warm, and when their lips met again, it was slow and sensual and sparked their passion off anew.

The hero had slotted himself between her legs, and she groaned when she felt his desire press up against her. Their hips found a rhythm together, swirling slowly and tantalizingly, a tease of what was to come. His lips left hers to go to her neck again, and she shifted further up the bed, silently begging him to take his attentions further down.

He did, and just when his lips had reached the top of her breasts, something in her back stung, and she let out a hiss.

"Shit," he swore softly, eyes wide as he tore himself off of her. "We need to get you taken care of!"

Asa gave a wry grin, if only just to cover up the fact that she very much did not want to stop, even if she was now gaining awareness of her pain. "Yeah, probably."

And yet, neither of them made to move. They were caught in a moment— one much warmer than the fiery passion they'd been in a minute ago, but it was sweet and still, and they weren't too worried about ending it any time soon.

Asa's hand drifted along the curve of Izuku's cheek. Though she hadn't thought it possible, his beautiful green eyes filled with even more adoration than before.

"I missed you," he murmured.

Her first genuine smile in weeks came onto her lips. "I missed you, too."

He stared at her for a moment, contemplating, before he said, "…I really hate fighting."

"Me too," she giggled.

"It's dumb."

"Then let's just not do it?"

The couple burst into a fit of laughter, both knowing that there was no way that was going to happen. Arguing was inevitable in all relationships— they knew that.

Grinning broadly, Asa amended herself, "I don't think we won't ever fight again, but we can try our best."

"Well…" her hero trailed off, looking part devious and part shy. "I like how we made up."

The moment he winked, she was laughing again and pushing him to the side.

* * *

"It's full!"

A moment later, the bathroom door opened, and Asa pointedly looked away. Not that she was body shy, but this was just…a new level for them. It felt more intimate than what they'd just been about to do, oddly enough.

Izuku's footsteps were drawing near, and the closer they got, the more happy she felt with her decision to fill the tub up more than normal.

Bubbles hid his view of anything, and yes, she knew her boyfriend was a complete gentleman, but still, she could feel heat rising in her cheeks. He'd insisted that she go ahead and get cleaned up to make sure none of her cuts got infected (and because the parts of her that hadn't been covered by her work clothes were covered in a thin layer of dirt and ash). And, of course, she couldn't take a shower because she'd hit her head, and if she passed out and hit her head again…yeah, no, a bath was safer.

When she dared to glance over, she found her beautiful boyfriend kneeling at the side of the tub, a washcloth in hand. Izuku was pouring a generous amount of soap onto it, eyebrows scrunched in concentration. After a moment, he finally noticed her staring.

The hero leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Doing okay so far? Anything stinging?"

Her nose wrinkled. "The bath water is dirty."

"Yeah, it gets like that," he chuckled. "Trust me, I've had to do this before, too. I'll make sure you're squeaky clean, alright? Have you noticed any particular places that hurt so far?"

Asa shifted, turning to show him a spot on her shoulder that had started throbbing a few minutes ago.

"Yeah, that looks like a nasty one," he murmured. The washcloth was dipped into the running water, and then, it was pressed against her shoulder.

She bit her lip to stop a hiss. It stung a little, but it felt more like a bruise. After the adrenaline and dopamine rush of their…_reunion_ had died down, she'd slowly noticed that it felt like she'd been hit by a truck. Then again, that's probably what the force of an explosion would do to a person.

Her boyfriend hummed softly as he worked, the washcloth gently removing the grime. Asa willed her shoulders to relax into his ministrations— and also let her mind wander.

As the tub had filled up, she'd found herself feeling conflicted. Or, no, conflicted wasn't the right word…guilty. That's what she felt. She had deliberately pushed him away, and yes, he'd done some bad things, but…so had she. She'd hurt his feelings, she knew she had. She'd lost her temper and let her rage get out of control and hadn't thought about what she was saying. And then, she'd asked for space, and who knew how much that had hurt him when they really should have just talked it out, and—

Violet eyes stared blankly at the tiles in front of her, lost in thought.

Another moment passed before she curled up within herself and whispered, "I'm sorry."

There was a shift, then a light kiss on her jaw. "I'm sorry, too."

Tears stung at her eyes. When a small sob wracked her body, the washcloth was removed. Strong hands were on her shoulders, gently guiding her to turn around. She did, lower lip trembling and tears falling, and she nearly burst into tears when sweet lips pecked hers.

"We'll fix things," Izuku promised. His lips then drifted to her nose, then to beside her eyes, and up to her forehead, and her cheeks, and the trail he left just made her want to cry more.

Instead, Asagao sniffed and tried to wipe away her tears. "N-Not fair," she laughed, voice strained. "I've been wanting to kiss all your freckles for ages."

Her boyfriend chuckled. "You can whenever you like." He pressed his lips to hers once more, and she squeezed her eyes shut, kissing him back with as much adoration as she could muster and hoping he could feel it.

Their lips parted moments later with a light pop, and Izuku nuzzled his nose against hers. "I love you."

She sighed happily. "I love you, too."

The washing continued with as easier atmosphere. He asked about when the award ceremony for the flower shop would be. She told him she was allowed a plus one. He told her about how basically every single one of his friends had given him relationship advice. She told him about how she'd refused to watch any hero or romance movies for a solid week.

It ended with a tantalizing kiss on her neck, and then he walked out to give her some privacy for a final rinse. When he came back minutes later, she was wrapped in a towel and staring at herself in the mirror— or, more specifically, at the bite mark he'd left on her neck. It was a little too well-placed to be mistaken for just another bruise from the explosion.

"Whoops."

The florist turned and lifted an eyebrow. "Oh please, you knew _exactly_ what you were doing."

Izuku had the decency to look embarrassed. He set what she assumed was a change of clothes for her down on the counter before he took her in his arms, eyes drifting down to the love bite. "I'll go easier next time."

"Presumptuous," she hummed.

"I prefer 'hopeful,'" he shrugged.

The moment she rolled her eyes, Izuku was chuckling and bringing her in for a kiss. It was sweet and still— up until the moment that she felt his hands pressing against her waist, and oh yeah, she was only wearing a towel.

Asagao pulled back and gave him a stern look. "Don't tempt me."

He grinned brightly. "I'm not trying to," he teased. "You're just pretty," a kiss, "and smart," another kiss, "and amazing," one more, "and I love you!"

The florist smiled up at her hero boyfriend stupidly. She liked those words coming from his lips. He could say them over and over again, and she was sure she'd never get over it.

After another peck, he slipped away again to let her get changed. She came out of the bathroom a minute later in his boxers and a t-shirt, both of which were hilariously too big for her, but she wasn't about to complain. They smelled like Izuku, and after not having that intoxicating scent for a long time, she would happily drown in it.

Asa found him back in his bedroom, just finishing up changing the sheets. Wow, they really _had_ been distracted. Had they seriously made out while she was covered in ash?

He looked up when she entered and immediately smiled. Izuku was in front of her in a flash, picking her up and dumping her on the bed and watching as she giggled and swatted at his face playfully. Grinning, the hero clambered in beside her, and she couldn't stop the contented sigh that slipped out when his strong chest met her back.

Just as she started to close her eyes, a thought occurred to her. "Don't you have work?"

He wrapped an arm around her waist. "I reported what happened. Aizawa-sensei cleared my schedule. Fire's out now, by the way."

She hummed. "Reconstruction is going to be fun."

Izuku must have sensed her underlying sarcasm, because he leaned over and kissed her cheek. "We'll handle it together. Rest for now."

She yawned, nodding as an afterthought. As nice as spooning was, her sleepy brain wanted something else. She turned over and put her head on his chest, relaxing when she was met with the soothing sound of his heartbeat. Asa curled into his warmth and safety, their legs tangling together lazily, and that was how they woke up hours later.

* * *

**SEE I ALWAYS DELIVER IN THE END! And nope, story's still not over! I have plenty more planned. Please leave a review!**


	26. Chapter 26

**I'm sure I had some of y'all freaked out, BUT I'M HERE! Honestly I didn't think I was going to be able to get this out today just because I've been so busy with the holidays. Like, I literally just wrote most of this today. But anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

The rebuilding took weeks, for both her flower shop and their relationship.

The explosion and the resulting fire had damaged a good portion of her shop. Insurance covered some of it, of course, but the prospect of starting over (not to mention the heartache of having lost so much) was incredibly daunting.

But they took it in stride, hand in hand, determined to deal with both the good and the bad just like they'd promised.

And when large checks from various hero agencies started flowing in, well…she wasn't an idiot. She was familiar enough with Izuku's graduating class to know that each donation could be traced back to his friends, no matter their half-hearted attempts to make them seem semi-anonymous.

Thankfully, Izuku didn't try to give any pretense of sneakily giving her money— in fact, he was so generous that Asa often found herself snapping her mouth shut in the middle of discussing a new design idea, only because she knew that her boyfriend would pay for whatever she wanted in a heartbeat, and she just wasn't comfortable with that. She was a self-made woman, and appreciative though she was, she still wanted to feel like she was the one in charge of her own business.

Hence, most days consisted of her walking around the flower shop with the construction and design crew, more often than not helping with what tasks she could. And only a week into the rebuilding process, she became personally acquainted with someone who (shockingly) had even more energy than her boyfriend.

"Oh, this is going to be so fun!" Mei Hatsume squealed. She had all sorts of contraptions laid out on a spare worktable, and honestly, Asa had lost track of what most of them did several minutes ago. All she cared about was the word "security."

"I really appreciate you helping me out," Asa said, only to be given a flippant wave of the hand.

"Please, I've been wanting to get my hands on this place for ages!" the other woman insisted. "You wouldn't believe how much work I get for protecting heroes' loved ones— it's seriously a niche market. And I know it sounds crazy, but stripping things down to the bare bones like this, not that it was intentional, of course, but still, it makes my job so much easier! All the wiring can be done from scratch instead of having to fiddle around with it!"

The florist let out an understanding laugh. If anything, what Hatsume was saying felt like a metaphor for her entire life lately. It had to be broken down before it could be built back up into something better.

As if to remind her of that, one of the designers tapped her shoulder. Asa turned to see a woman in a full suit, razor sharp eyes focusing in and out like a camera lens. Asagao had learned quickly that this meant two things— one, that the designer's quirk was activated, and two, that the designer needed her full attention.

"Nakano-san, I wanted to review the paint swatches with you," Hirose stated.

Nodding, Asa turned to tell Hatsume she'd be right back with her, only to find that the woman had trotted off toward the electricity panel on one of the walls. The florist returned her attention to Hirose. The designer had been recommended (see: supplied) by Momo, who had simply insisted that she was at the top of the industry, absolutely perfect for this job. So far, Asagao agreed.

"Now, as we've discussed, most of the former pink theme is staying— with a few minor tweaks," Hirose said as she rolled out several sheafs of paper. The sketches showing the familiar layout of her flower shop brought some relief to Asa. She really couldn't wait until it was open again. "I understand you also wanted to add in a complimentary color, as you said in your email, and I noted that many of the inspiration pictures you sent me have green in them."

The designer then pulled out a series of paint swatches from her bag, each showing off a variety of shades in the pink and green families. The largest swatch was the pink they'd already chosen to be the main color— it was a bit of a deeper rosy hue than her former bright pink pastel, but she liked it.

Seeing the pink and green together, Asagao tried and failed to hold down a smile. Of course she'd been so drawn to this color combination.

"That one," she said immediately, pointing to a muted olive color. "For the interior trim around the windows."

Hirose hummed, "I was leaning toward the same." She marked an 'x' on the swatch, then jotted down a few notes. "Other than that, everything is on schedule, Nakano-san."

"Hell yeah it is!" Hatsume yelled from across the room. "You're gonna have the prettiest, most bullet-proof flower shop in the world, Asa-chan!"

Asagao covered her mouth to laugh, while the designer next to her rolled her eyes. "Form and function," Asa had continuously reminded the mismatched pair. "Form and function."

And so the project moved on. With a society filled with quirks, progress went quicker than expected (then again, that was probably due to Uraraka pulling some strings— something about the family business).

As for Izuku and Asagao, progress also went a little quicker than expected. After having a long conversation that didn't involve just kissing, the pair eased their way back into a relaxed routine. When Izuku wasn't working, he was at the shop with her overseeing reconstruction. And when that was done, they were at either of their apartments spending some well deserved alone time.

That was what they were doing right now, on Christmas Eve. The couple was cuddled together on the couch, arms and legs twisted and bunched in an effort to try to get as close to the other person as possible. Now empty cups of what had been hot chocolate were on his living room table, and some cheesy Christmas film played in the background.

Torn up wrapping paper laid in heaps on the floor around them. She'd gotten him seemingly the one hero encyclopedia he didn't own, complete with the corresponding documentary series, along with more notebooks to enable his ever-growing collection of quirk knowledge. He'd gifted her with a keychain (designed by Hatsume, of course, outfitted with a tracking system should Asa ever get caught in a troublesome situation again), along with some new winter gloves and tickets to go see another musical in January.

Asagao nuzzled her cheek into his sweater. The actress on the tv mentioned something about her sister, and that sparked a memory in Asa's sleepy mind. "Oh yeah, my family's been bugging me about meeting you."

Izuku's thumb rubbed a circle on her thigh. "My mom's been wanting to see you again, too."

"Maybe after the holidays," Asa replied before she let out a big yawn.

"Same would work for me with your family."

The florist shifted, positioning herself so she could give him a raised eyebrow. "You sound weirdly calm about it."

An awkward grin came onto her boyfriend's lips. "Oh I'm not. I'm just trying to act like I am."

Asa snorted snd snuggled back into him. A minute passed by, during which the couple on the tv had a predictable argument over the true meaning of Christmas, before she said, "It's no rush. If you're not ready to meet them, they'll understand, and I will, too."

She felt his chest heave a sigh. "I know, but I don't like running from things just because they make me anxious." Asa nodded. He'd explained avoidance techniques for anxiety about a week ago and how they only make you feel better temporarily. Apparently it was a common thing to do with anxiety— and something he didn't want to do anymore.

The florist searched for one of his hands, and once she found it, made a point of lacing their fingers together and squeezing tightly. He squeezed back, and she leaned up to press a kiss to his cheek.

"I'll be right there with you," she promised. "I'll talk to them about it tomorrow. Would a dinner in the next few weeks be okay? Nothing too long if it gets overwhelming."

The smile he gave her was soaked in appreciation. "That sounds great. I think…" Izuku hesitated, and she planted a lazy kiss on his jaw, prompting him to smile again. "I don't think I would be as nervous if it wasn't for that tabloid last week."

Asagao hummed understandingly. "They know it's all fake, trust me. My mom even texted me because she thought it was funny."

Her hero let out something that was a mix between a relieved sigh and a laugh. Comfortable quiet settled over them. Somehow, the couple in the movie was now miraculously getting engaged. They kissed, music swelling and snow falling, and Asa frowned.

"I still haven't talked about what happened with Shinsou," she murmured. "I…I probably should do that sometime soon. I haven't even seen him since we busted in here."

Izuku nuzzled his nose into her hair. "I think it'd be a good idea to clear the air, but only when you're ready. I'm— well, I still feel ashamed of my own behavior," he admitted.

Asagao rolled her eyes. He'd already told her as much— multiple times, in fact. She was about to tell him for the millionth time that everything was forgiven, that they needed to let the past stay in the past, but a different idea popped in her head.

The florist shimmed her way out of his hold, plopping herself down in the center of his lap and giving him a silly grin. "And you think I wouldn't be just as mad if I walked in on you kissing some other girl?" she teased.

"You almost did," he pointed out.

"True, and I responded by throwing her against a wall," she laughed, and _that_ drew a chuckle from him. "It's okay to have a flaw, Izuku. If you didn't have one, you wouldn't be human. And _nothing_—" she said, cutting in when he started to open his mouth to retort, "—about how heroes are supposed to be better than that, because that's not true and you know it."

There was a struggle on his face, and she could tell he still wanted to argue about that, but he quickly gave up the fight. Her hero cupped her face in his hands, tilting her head up gently and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

"I love you."

She felt her heart melt into a puddle of goo. "I love you, too."

Izuku gave her a shy smile, and that seemed to be the end of the conversation. But just as she was about to settle back down into him again (and try to fall asleep "on accident" — come on, he's just too warm and cuddly), her boyfriend shifted.

"Another round of chess?" he suggested.

"Ugh," she whined immediately, "You're just going to beat me again!"

The hero chuckled. "I'll go easy on you this time."

"Stupid strategist," she mumbled, even though she was climbing up off of his lap.

He laughed brightly behind her. Strong arms caught her before she could get too far, and Asa found herself being turned around to be met with an adoring kiss. She relaxed into him and let herself be carried away into a land of bliss. Yeah, it felt nice to have things back to normal after all that mess.

* * *

The morning of January first was cold, but buzzing with excitement. The pair of scissors handed to her were too massive to not be hilarious, but she would laugh at the pictures later. For now, she relished in the cheers and the confetti, her heart swelling with pride.

The reopening celebration of her shop had become a predictably bigger deal than she'd expected. Being Deku's girlfriend and all, well…yeah, there was just no avoiding it. The crowd on the sidewalk before her was filled with a mix of her friends, his friends, the construction team, the designers, and a healthy dose of news reporters. Cameras were flashing constantly— especially when Izuku couldn't contain his excitement anymore after she cut the ribbon and kissed her— and yup, she was very glad she'd advised her family to not come. The last thing she wanted was them getting caught up in all this craziness.

At some point, a lined formed in front of her, and she chatted with everyone for a bit after they congratulated her. So far, she'd been through a slew of Izuku's friends, and the last person was Shouto, who dipped his head cordially and offered a bottle of wine she knew was probably far too expensive.

"I wish you all the best, Nakano-chan," he said. "And I hope that your luck will be better than your boyfriend's."

Izuku threw a light punch at his best friend's shoulder, and the trio laughed. "Thanks, Todoroki-kun, I appreciate it," she giggled.

The stoic hero nodded, but didn't move away. There was a look on his face— almost like he had something more to say, but wasn't sure how to say it.

After a moment, his eyes glanced off to the side. "There's…someone else here who would like to give his congratulations, but…"

The couple followed his gaze. Asa's heart skipped a beat uncomfortably in her chest when her eyes landed on wild purple hair.

"Kaminari-kun convinced him he should come, but I didn't know if it would be strange for you, so I thought I'd give you a heads up."

Asagao swallowed. "I— thank you." When the hero nodded and stepped away, violet eyes met green. Izuku gave her an encouraging smile. Some of her worry faded (though definitely not all of it). Handing off the bottle to him, Asa turned and began to make her way through the crowd.

Purple eyes like hers found her immediately. He looked away, one hand going up to rest behind his neck. She charged on.

By the time she'd gotten to him, she still hadn't figured out what to say. So instead, she just said, "Hi."

His eyes flicked up only briefly. "Hello."

She clasped her hands together in front of her. This was so weird. "I, um, have you been well? Lately? Holidays been good and stuff?"

A self-deprecating grin slowly came onto his face. "You don't have to act like that, Nakano-san."

The florist let out the breath she'd been holding. Of course he wouldn't be one for small talk— not after all of _that_. "Okay, well then, how do we act? Or really— actually, why are you here? Not that I don't want you here," she corrected herself quickly. "It's just…I haven't seen you since…you know, everything."

The underground hero before her bit his lip. "I…I figured we needed some sort of closure."

Her anxiety spiked, but she nodded. "Yeah, I think so, too."

A stiff silence.

"I'm—"

"This—"

They stopped and let out strained laughs.

"Look, I—" Asagao swallowed. "I just want to say that I'm so sorry you got tangled up in all this mess, and…" Her face burned. "And I know you had…feelings for me, and I…I'd like to still be friends because you've been a great teacher, but I also understand if you don't want that."

"Have."

Asa blinked. "Huh?"

"Have," he repeated. "I still have feelings for you."

The florist shuffled her feet. "Oh."

A moment passed before there was a resigned sigh. "It's okay. It's like they say— the heart wants what it wants. Can't help it," he said.

When she looked up, she saw a forced smile, along with the sadness in his eyes that seemingly went on endlessly. She tried to hold back tears. "I'm so sorry," she whispered. "I hope you can find your person one day, it just—"

"It won't be you," Shinsou finished for her. She opened her mouth, but he held up a hand. "It's fine, really, Nakano-san. You don't have to explain it to me. Midoriya is lucky to have you. I just hope he knows it."

A tentative grin came onto her face. "He does," she replied. Shinsou nodded, and she rocked on her feet. This was still so uncomfortable. "So…Eri-chan and Hiro? What's that like these days? He won't answer my questions."

The hero shrugged. "Hanging out more than usual from what I can tell."

Asa tilted her head. "Are they still super awkward around each other?"

"Yeah," Shinsou snorted, "But she's relentless when she sets her mind to something, so…" He left it hanging, and Asa swore she could feel the tension squeezing her lungs.

She cleared her throat. "Well, ah, no matter what happens, I think they'd be good for each other— friends or whatever else. Hiro could use someone like her to help him get out of his shell."

Shinsou nodded, "Agreed."

Well…that was that. She didn't have anything more to say, and from the look of it, he didn't either. If anything, he seemed like he was ready to leave, if the way he kept glancing toward the sidewalk was any indication.

"Are you going to keep teaching me?" she blurted out suddenly.

The hero winced. "No, Aizawa is going to take that over."

Asa's heart sunk, even though she could easily list off at least a dozen reasons as to why that was a good idea. Honestly, she had no clue how she would be able to be around him without feeling this awkward all the time.

"I'm so sorry, again," she repeated. "I— yeah, I don't really know what to say other than that," she laughed forcefully.

The corner of Shinsou's lips twitched up. "It's okay. I'm…I think I'm gonna head out now. Have a new case to work on."

"Of course," she nodded. "Good luck with that, and everything else, okay?"

A full, but tiny smile— the first one that seemed real so far in this conversation— broke through. "You too, Nakano-san."

The florist stood there for a while as she watched him wander off. Her heart ached for him. She knew what unrequited love felt like better than almost anyone. It had been a miracle that the horrible feeling had finally been cured for her, and she wished more than anything that she could perform a similar miracle for him.

"I think that went well."

Asa rolled her eyes and spun around. "Spying, hm?"

Izuku snickered. "Nah, just watching from afar."

"Sounds like spying to me," she teased. "Worried he'd make a move or something? Because he doesn't seem like the type to do that at all."

Her boyfriend took her by the waist, nuzzling his nose into her hair. She was only vaguely aware of the camera flashes in the background.

"Nope, wasn't worried a bit," he murmured. "Just needed to make sure you were done in time for your speech. You have ten minutes."

Asagao groaned. She'd almost forgotten about that. Almost.

A light tap on her shoulder showed her that Todoroki was at her other side, and with two of the top pro heroes next to her, they made their way through the crowd and into the flower shop. Todoroki guarded the door, while Izuku and Asagao slipped into the brand new backroom space.

"Okay," she huffed out. "Speech."

Strong hands were on her shoulders in an instant. "You've _got_ this," Izuku insisted. "You've already practiced loads of times—"

"Uhuh."

"—and you basically have it memorized—"

"Yup."

"—and everyone you've shown it to thinks it's good— hm?"

Asa looked up at her boyfriend with an adoringly frustrated expression, one hand over his mouth. "Can you please just kiss me?"

Her hero burst out laughing— then gladly obliged. Warm, upturned lips met hers, and she allowed herself to fall deep into the sensations surrounding her. Ignore the clock. Ignore the press. Ignore the fact that this was going to be televised. Just focus on Izuku, how he was nibbling on her bottom lip, shifting lower, and—

"Ugh, Izuku!" she groaned, only half-annoyed. "Not now!"

He quickly pulled back from her neck. A stupidly cheeky grin was plastered on his face. "Sorry, I'll save it for later," he chuckled.

Asa tried to not think of the implications. "Okay. How do I look?"

"Like I wanna kiss you more?" he tried. A slap to the arm was his answer. "Okay, okay! Here, let me—" Izuku began smoothing down her hair, his tongue stuck out in concentration as he made sure each flyaway was back in place.

When he was done, she looked up at him. "Good?"

"Good," he nodded. Then, he took in a deep breath. She followed his lead. For the next minute, there was nothing but the sounds of their breathing in tandem, in and out, in and out, over and over again. Her eyes had closed at some point, and when they opened, she found a glittering green gaze staring down at her.

"You're going to do so wonderful," Izuku whispered. "I just know it."

Asagao played those words on repeat over and over again when they headed back out to the street. The cameras were almost blinding as she made her way over to a podium (the one she'd been avoiding looking at this entire time because god, this was just terrifying).

Her heart pounded relentlessly in her chest. She stepped up onto the platform. Her prepared statement laid in front of her, just below the microphone. And just like Izuku had suggested, she simply clasped her hands and held her chin up in silence, waiting for everyone's attention.

A hush fell over the crowd quicker than expected. Asa took in one final calming breath. Izuku gave her a thumbs up from his position off to the side.

She put on a smile. "Thank you, everyone, for coming out to the re-opening of my store. Don't worry, this is the last thing on the schedule, so you can all get out of the cold soon."

Chuckles could be heard, and Asa fought the urge to let out a relieved sigh. Violet eyes glanced back down at the speech.

"I want to say a couple thank you's. First, the construction and design team were an absolute joy to work with. They helped a tragedy turn into something beautiful, and I can't thank them enough for that. I also want to thank all of my donors, who, no, were not as subtle as they thought they were," she laughed, looking directly at the group of heroes gathered around Izuku. They at least had the decency to look a little embarrassed.

"I also want to thank my clients for sticking with me through this time. I know that having appointments in my apartment wasn't ideal, but your patience and kindness was so appreciated." Asagao paused just long enough to take in a breath. "It is also because of my customers that I will be awarded 'Best Local Flower Shop of the Year.' I am the youngest person to ever receive such an honor, and that is only due to the customers who decided to give me a shot. It is because you and my family believed in me that I am where I am today."

There was a tension in the air, and Asa could sense it. Her smile grew brighter. "Finally, I'd like to thank Izuku Midoriya, for reasons that are kind of obvious," she said, and the crowd laughed. "But I'm sure many of you don't know that he was here as much as he could helping with the reconstruction, and I don't think his sleep schedule has still fully recovered. So thank you, Izuku, for being a hero for all of Japan, and also just for me."

Asa glanced over and wasn't surprised to see her boyfriend wiping at his face. She'd kept that last part secret, never saying it all the millions of times they'd rehearsed this speech. She'd have to apologize for making him cry in public later.

Grinning with both satisfaction and relief, she clapped her hands. "Alright, so, that's it! I'll be opening the shop up now if any of you want to buy something, but other than that, the celebrations are over. Again, thank you so much for coming, and—"

"What are you and Deku's future plans?!"

The florist blinked, as did almost everyone. The man who had shouted the question looked on impatiently, squinting his eyes and holding out his microphone as far as he could as he waited for his answer.

Startled, Asagao looked to her boyfriend. His face was scrunched up in annoyance, but the moment he realized she was looking at him, he gave her an encouraging smile. And well, he just looked so cute all of the sudden, she couldn't help but giggle.

A light in her eyes, Asa turned back and gave the man a grin. "I'll tell you when I know! But hopefully things will be a little more calm than the beginning of our relationship has been," she joked.

* * *

**The future is upon us! Please leave a review, and see you guys again next week!**


	27. Chapter 27

**INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT: I've been thinking about this for a while now, but after last week's reviews, it has been decided. Once this fic is done, there will be a Shinsou-centric sequel! I've already plotted out a good portion of it, and I am very excited to take you guys on another adventure with me!**

* * *

**Hiro:** IM FREAKING OUT

**Asa:** STOP FREAKING OUT

**Hiro:** I CANT DEKU IS COMING TO OUR HOUSE

The florist rolled her eyes fondly and laughed. She should've expected this.

**Asa:** You've already met him and you go to school surrounded by heroes every day! This isn't anything new.

**Hiro:** YES IT IS AND YOU KNOW IT

Well, he had a point— just not the one he was trying to make.

Asagao leaned back in her chair, letting her mind wander over the short list of people she'd dated. She got to the end of it and realized, yeah, she'd never brought anyone home before. This really was something new.

She stared up at the grey mid-January sky. The sun had been struggling to peek through the clouds all day, but to no avail. Asa was just glad it wasn't raining— Izuku had a long patrol today, and a cold, soaked-through boyfriend wasn't ideal on the day he was meeting her parents.

The plan for the evening was as follows: finish up some final details for a wedding next weekend, close the store, hop on the train to Izuku's, get changed, probably take about ten minutes to calm him down, and then head out together toward her parent's house.

The _ding_ of the shop bell pulled the florist back to the present, and she put on a friendly smile. Time to check item one off the list.

Thankfully, the appointment was with one of her nicer clients (trust me, she had plenty of stories to tell about nightmare brides and grooms). They reviewed the selections— specifically for the ribbons, which the woman had gone back and forth on at least half a dozen times. At the end, Asagao handed over her usual complimentary bottle of champagne as a gift, and the moment the woman was out of sight of the shop windows, Asa threw off her apron and began to close up the shop.

When she burst into the backroom to get cleaning supplies, Meiko and Akari looked up at her knowingly from their station by the roses.

"She's free!" Akari teased.

Meiko set down the watering can and wiped her hands on her apron. "Leave the cleaning to us, Na-chan. I know you have a big day."

As if on cue, a swirl of purple began to reach toward Asagao, and she swatted it away, laughing. "I'm perfectly fine— it's Izuku I'm worried about. I wish I could bottle your quirk and bring it to him."

"Who would've thought the number one hero would get so nervous about meeting parents?" Akari wondered aloud.

"I don't think anyone is excluded from meet-the-parents anxiety," Meiko replied.

"I definitely wasn't," Asa agreed. When she tried to reach for the window cleaning solution, it was quickly snatched out of her reach. She frowned, but when she looked up, Meiko was giving her one of her typical motherly looks, and Akari was smiling brightly.

"Go on!" Akari said, shooing her away. "Go save your hero!"

A grin cracked on Asa's face. She did as she was told, putting her hands up innocently and wandering over to grab her purse and coat. The florist tossed her employees a quick wave before she skipped out the back door, jittery with excitement.

The hustle and bustle of downtown Tokyo rush hour matched her mood precisely. In some strange way, she felt like she was falling in love all over again. Maybe it was because this was a big step, maybe it was because the business had been going well since its reopening, maybe it was because Izuku being back in her life after all of that mess was just so wonderful and filled every day with joy. Whatever the cause, today was a special day, and the smile on her face refused to leave.

Getting off the train in a new area of town, however, still took her full attention. She'd forgotten to hop off at the right stop last week and had wound up in a completely different neighborhood. After the repeated incidents with villains at Izuku's apartment, he had finally decided that relocating would be the safest option. She followed the route that was slowly becoming more and more familiar to her toward the more ritzy part of town.

Izuku had hated moving to such a fancy area— he'd told her as much with every box he packed, because he didn't want to give an impression of opulence because that wasn't what being a hero was about. It had taken a while to convince him that, of course, no one thought he was in it for the money, but he'd told her he still felt awkward walking streets lined with million dollar mansions.

The florist arrived at his new place within a few minutes. It was a modern house of medium size, blockish and paneled with a mixture of concrete, warm wood, and glass that she knew was bulletproof. She let herself in with her personal code on the keypad, then slipped off her shoes. The warm glow of the setting sun cast the minimalist space in hues of orange, and she smiled gently. Something about this place was already beginning to feel a bit like home to her.

Asagao followed the sound of footsteps up to his bedroom on the second floor, occasionally tip toeing around boxes that hadn't been unpacked yet. When she got to the bedroom, she knocked on the open door.

Her hero spun around. One of his hands was doing up the buttons on his shirt, and the other held a toothbrush to his teeth. "Hewwo!" he greeted.

She snorted. "Hello to you, too."

Izuku's mouth formed a quirky grin around his toothbrush. "Here, lemme—" he said, rushing off to the bathroom. Asa shook her head fondly.

By the time he came back, she was in his closet pulling out the change of clothes she'd stowed away for tonight. Asagao caught a glimpse of red cheeks before he pointedly looked away.

He cleared his throat. "Good day at the shop?"

"Yup," she replied, shimmying off her work pants and sliding into a pair of black jeans. "Not much out of the ordinary— Serinuma-san finally decided on the purple silk ribbon."

"I thought she'd chosen the white lace?"

Asa laughed, "She did, but she changed her mind again." Asa popped her head out of her pink sweater. There was a cute little zipper on the back, and after several failed attempts at reaching it, she grumbled, "Izuku? Can you help?"

Her boyfriend turned to look, and she held up her hair to let him see the zipper. He nodded. Asagao shifted so that the zipper was toward him. She hummed a nonsensical tune, her mind aimlessly going over their route to her parents' house once more.

All of that came to a stop when she felt a feather-light kiss on her neck.

The florist shivered immediately, a deep heat pooling inside of her. Something warm and wet flicked over her skin, and she fought back a groan. She should probably berate her boyfriend— after all, they had a train to catch, and she fully intended on arriving on time. But then teeth were sinking in, nipping and sucking lightly, and she decided everything else could wait.

Asa let her head fall back against his chest, basking in the heady wave of his affections. His hands were on her waist, gentle but firm as his fingers ran circles over her sweater. She let out a whimper, squirming and hoping he would slip those fingers underneath, but he didn't.

His tongue was laving generously over her shoulder now, working its way up to her ear and then back down again to the juncture of her neck. She was panting, frustrated, and there was another delicate kiss to her earlobe before he pulled away and zipped up the sweater as requested.

Asagao spun on her heel, knowing full well that her eyes were a mixture of fury and desire. "I hate you."

Izuku gave her a cheeky grin. "Sorry."

Fighting the urge to drag his lips down to hers and beg for more, the florist stalked past him. "I need to brush my teeth. Try to not devise any more plans to make us late while I'm gone?"

"No promises!" he called after her.

The first thing she did when she entered the bathroom was check the mirror for any marks. As gentle as her boyfriend was, he had a tendency to leave a trail (not that she minded). When she didn't see any, she muttered, "Thank god it has a high neckline." If her sweater didn't, she'd be screwed.

By the time she was exiting the bathroom with fresh breath, it seemed Izuku had done a complete one-eighty. No longer was there a suave, daring boyfriend who liked to tease her at the worst moments possible— no, now there was a man who was incredibly anxious, pacing and mumbling nonstop.

Smiling knowingly, she teased, "Where's my confident man from a minute ago?"

Izuku startled, freezing. "O-Oh, I just— well, first of all, I don't think you want me acting like that in front of your parents," he pointed out.

"Oh god no," Asa snorted. He gave a shaky grin, and she walked up and began to smooth down his shirt. "Just be _you_, Izuku. Don't be what you think they'd want you to be or anything like that. And if you need a break—"

"—we can go out to the garden," he finished, reciting their backup plan with a sigh of relief.

Her smile turned softer. Asa reached for his coat on the edge of the bed. "Right," she said as she handed it to him. "I'll be with you the whole time, okay?"

Izuku swallowed hard. "Right, I mean, that would be a little weird if you just left. Super weird."

Laughing, Asagao leaned up on her tip toes to press a a peck to his lips. Before she could leave, though, he wound his arms against her, chasing her lips with his for just a few seconds longer.

When he leaned back, she was pleased to find his expression brighter than it was before. "Thanks, I needed that."

She shook her head, grinning. "You don't need to say thank you, silly."

"I will anyways," he shrugged. Another quick kiss, then, "I love you, Asagao."

Asa nuzzled her nose against his. "I love you, too, Izuku."

They walked hand in hand to the train station, continuing their previously cut off conversation about work. Apparently he'd dealt with a couple thugs in a back alley, but nothing too news-worthy.

For as peaceful as their walk there had been, the peace did not last. The moment they sat down on the train, they were bombarded with near constant attention. Anyone from the age of four to eighty wanted a slice of Izuku's time— and, shockingly enough, a few also happily waved at Asagao.

One passenger in particular right now was a little girl who could be no older than eight years old. Asa honestly wasn't sure how she'd gotten into this conversation, but the girl was looking down at her hands and frowning, and Asa just couldn't leave things like that.

"I don't know, I just don't think my quirk will ever be super strong like yours or Deku's," she mumbled.

Asa felt her heart squeeze a bit. "But you don't know that it won't be," the florist corrected gently. When the little girl looked up, Asagao smiled. "You said your quirk was lame, but no quirk is lame— and neither is not having one at all. We all get to choose what to do with the potential we're given, quirk or not."

The girl's gaze shifted back down toward her hands. She held them up, looking at the protruding spikes on the end of them curiously. "Potential…" she murmured.

Nodding, Asa said, "That's right. You can be as strong as you want to be if you put in the work."

There was a squeeze, and violet eyes glanced sideways to see Izuku gazing at her adoringly. When the time for their stop came, Asagao waved goodbye to the little girl and the rest of the crowd that had flocked to them. It was weird to be so at the center of attention…but also touching. And maybe it was something she could turn into a good thing, just like how Izuku used his position to raise awareness for all sorts of social injustices. She could be like that, too. It made her smile just thinking about it.

"You handled that really well," Izuku commented after a bit. He pressed a kiss to her hair, and she snuggled into his side.

"I'm getting used to it," she replied.

"I'm glad," he laughed honestly. "I didn't…I don't know, a lot of stuff comes with dating me— which you know, of course, but still, I didn't know if it would all be too much, just…stuff like that. The attention and all."

Asa shrugged, "So long as you take the brunt of it, I'll be fine. But there might be times when I'm too tired and I'll want you to just carry me somewhere instead."

Her boyfriend chuckled, and Asa giggled, too. She really was so content.

And of course, the moment had to be ruined by the impending doom of what was about to happen.

"Breath," Asa said as they walked up to the door.

"Yup, breathing," Izuku wheezed.

"You're gonna be fine."

"Yup, gonna be just fine."

"It'll be over soon."

"Very, very soon."

She grinned up at him brightly, and he gave a strained smile back. If she was being truly honest with herself, she was nervous, too. After the kidnapping and the Toga-incident, her parents had expressed some…opinions on her dating the number one pro hero. Namely about how dangerous it seemed to be. She really didn't know how this evening was going to go, but regardless of what happened, she had no intentions on letting go of Izuku. Not after everything they'd been through.

Before she could let her thoughts go down that rabbit hole any further, though, the front door swung open. "Nē-chan!" Hiro cheered. "Deku-san! Come in! Come in!"

Izuku immediately let out a laugh. "Really, Midoriya-san is fine, Hiro-kun."

Asagao had to hold in her own amusement when she saw her little brother's eyes widen. "O-Of course!" he stammered. "Here, we— they're in the kitchen!"

He darted off, and the couple traded a humored look. As they toed off their shoes, Asa whispered, "See, you're not the only one that's nervous."

Her boyfriend rolled his eyes, a bad habit he'd picked up from her. She took his hand again, noting how he took in a deep breath and straightened up to his full height. When he gave her a nod, she lead him further into the house.

"We're here!" she called out.

"We're just finishing up," her mother's voice replied.

Grinning, Asa pulled her boyfriend forward. Just before they turned the corner to the kitchen, he squeezed her hand one last time.

"Table's all set, honey," her dad greeted. His brown eyes immediately flickered down to where she was holding Izuku's hand, then back up again. He stepped forward and inclined his head. "Nakano Haru. Pleased to meet you, Deku-san."

Izuku's voice was rigid when it came out, "Midoriya Izuku— pleased to meet you too, Nakano-san!" he replied with a low bow.

Asa gave her dad an amused grin. "Midoriya-san is just fine with him, dad."

Before anyone could respond, her mother was coming through with a big bowl of rice in her hands. "Please, everyone have a seat," she said. "Let me just get the last dish out, and we'll be all set!"

They did as told, and Asa made sure to keep a hold on Izuku's hand when she noticed that he was stiff as a board. She'd never seen his back so ramrod straight in her life— not even during interviews after a battle. There was always this fascinating, confident ease to his shoulders. Like everything would be okay just because he was there, and he would never let anything bad happen.

But right now, she could tell that he very much felt at the mercy of a situation he couldn't control.

Thankfully, the silence was broken by Hiro chirping, "I told Aizawa-sensei you were coming over today!"

Izuku's lips turned up. "Did you?"

"Yup, he said to make sure to not let you touch any of the food," Hiro snickered. "Something about burning curry during your second year in the dorms?"

A flush came over her hero's cheeks. "Yeah, I was trying to fix something for Todoroki-kun because he got sick, but I'm not the cook of the group, Kacchan is, and I forgot something in my room and went to go get it, and then I got caught up doing homework and— oh wow, Nakano-san, that looks great!"

Asa felt some relief of her own when her mother smiled. "Thank you, Midoriya-san. It's our Asa's favorite."

A joke about her having good taste was on the tip of her tongue, but she shut it down before it could slip out.

Dinner passed…acceptably. Izuku was quieter than his usual hundred miles per hour ramblings, and most of it was small talk about how her parents' jobs were going. No one asked about Izuku's job because, well, they all sort of already knew. Asa didn't miss the fact that no one brought up the escapades of the last few months. She figured those were sore spots that no one wanted to touch with a ten foot pole.

As soon as the meal was over, however, Izuku insisted on doing the dishes. The couple found themselves in the kitchen scrubbing away, and she could hear him taking in deep, calming breaths beside her.

"You're doing well," she murmured. When his head whipped around to look at her, she smiled gently. "It was a little awkward, but first meetings usually are, I think."

"You did fine with my mom," he countered.

"Not perfect, though," she shrugged. "I was freaking out all day before you two came."

Her boyfriend blew out a big sigh. "Yeah, I just— I don't know, I feel like I need to say something about what's happened."

Asa bumped her hip lightly against his. "Only if you want to. Don't do it for any other reason."

Izuku nodded and dried off another dish.

As soon as they were done, Hiro was dragging Izuku into the living room to play a board game. Asagao hung back and watched, grinning when she saw her boyfriend's shoulders relax.

"He seems nice."

Violet eyes turned to see her parents next to her, both holding cups of tea. "He's nervous," she answered honestly. "He wants to make a good first impression."

"Hard to make a first impression when we already have one of him," her father muttered, not unkindly. Asa could sort of understand. She'd already had an image of him in mind when they'd first met— it just came with being the top hero.

"We're giving him a chance," her mother cut in. Her eyes were crinkled with worry, and Asa felt her heart clench. "But, Asagao, you know our concerns, and—"

"You've already told me them," she cut her off. She really didn't feel like having this conversation again.

An uncomfortable silence filled the air, only to be cut off by the sound of Hiro and Izuku laughing. Asa looked back over. The tension in her chest was relieved some by the brightness in Izuku's eyes.

Without another word, the florist let herself be pulled in by Izuku's presence, settling down beside him and flashing him a smile. "So, what are you two playing?"

With him by her side, it was easy to ignore the lingering awkwardness for the next hour. Her parents watched the board game, not making any comments, and Asa just told herself to give them time. She knew they were worried, like any parents would be after all that had happened. But Izuku was her choice, and they would have to accept that.

It was nearing nine when she nudged him and asked if he was ready to go, and Izuku's eyes drifted to the right. She watched him clear his throat, posture straightening.

"Nakano-san?" he said, and both of her parents looked up at the same time. "Er…would you both mind showing me around the garden? I've heard a lot about it from Asagao."

Immediately, Asa figured out what he was trying to do. Her parents and Izuku filed outside a moment later, and she smiled after him.

Hiroyasu leaned over, expression conspiratorial. "Is he asking for dad's permission to— ow!"

Asa snickered and withdrew her hand from where she'd pinched his arm. "I think he's just trying to smooth things over."

"They'll get over it," Hiro said. Asa gave him a surprised look, and he shrugged. "Sometimes I hear them talk about it. I don't know why they're worried, though— he's number one. If anyone can keep you safe, it's him."

Asagao nodded slowly. She could only hope her parents agreed.

When the three of them came back inside fifteen minutes later, Izuku still looked a bit tense— but not as much as before. Her parents also looked somewhat at ease, and Asa held in a sigh of relief.

They leave with a wave goodbye, and though it's nothing like the way her first meeting with his mother had gone, Asa can't help but think it was a success.

* * *

To be honest, Izuku felt emotionally exhausted.

You would think after fighting villains day in, day out for however many years that this would be easy. But no, it wasn't, and he'd known it wouldn't be from the start.

He'd had a feeling as to why he hadn't met her parents yet. There could be the explanation of timing, busy schedules, etc., but now he knew for certain. Even as he'd promised them that he would do everything in his power to keep her safe, to not let anything like that happen ever again, they looked unsure. And honestly, he didn't blame them.

More than that, though, Asagao's words on the train had been rattling around in his head for the past few hours.

_"You said your quirk was lame, but no quirk is lame— and neither is not having one at all. We all get to choose what to do with the potential we're given, quirk or not."_

He wanted to tell her. He'd been toying around with the idea for a while now, and he felt like it was time. Was it a risk? Yes, but so was everything else in their relationship. He wanted her to know his story, to know his quirk, to know everything because— well, it felt like he still had so much hidden from her, and he hated it.

As they made the journey home, Izuku settled it in his mind: he was going to confess everything.

Now, that didn't keep him from feeling jittery all over again during the train ride home. They weren't bothered this time, and thank goodness for that— Asa seemed tired, her head leaning against his shoulder and her eyes closed. Should he wait for another day? No, no, he needed to do this. No more avoiding it.

He was still running over how to say it when they arrived back at his house. She was going to stay the night since they hadn't seen each other much this week, and he knew he wouldn't be able to sleep if he didn't go ahead and tell her.

The second they walked in the door, Asa said, "You've been quiet."

He tried to not flinch. She could read him so easily. "So have you."

"I'm tired though," she yawned. "You're a different kind of quiet. You're 'thinking' quiet."

Izuku opened his mouth to protest, but wound up laughing awkwardly. "I'm— yeah, you're right. Can we talk about something? Nothing bad," he added on quickly, "Just…something important."

Asagao blinked, seemingly trying to wake herself up again. After a moment, she nodded, and he lead them over to the couch in his new living room. He sat down, and she immediately cuddled up against him. She let out a little happy sigh. His heart melted.

"Is it about my parents?" she questioned. "Because I feel like I should've given you a heads up, and I'm sorry about that."

"No, no, it's not that," he shook his head. "It's…it's something else."

His sober tone must have made her realize how serious this was. Asagao shifted so that she was no longer leaning on him, now sitting upright and giving him her full attention.

He swallowed. "R-Right, um…I want to tell you about my quirk."

Her mouth dropped open. "Oh."

Izuku nodded. "Yeah."

There was a silence, during which he watched a thousand emotions run through her beautiful violet eyes. "Izuku, you don't— if you don't want to, I completely—"

"No, I want to," he insisted.

She blinked, then smiled softly. "Okay. You know me— top secret, lips zipped tight, no one will know."

"I know," he laughed. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. When his eyes reopened, one of Asa's hands was holding his own. He stared into the comforting depths of her patience gaze. "My quirk is called One for All."

She nodded. "Okay, and what does that mean?"

"That's a great question," Izuku chuckled. "I-It's um…it's hard to explain."

Asagao squeezed his hand. "I've got time."

He gave her a shaky grin. "Right. So…um, it might be best to start from the beginning— or, no, maybe not." Izuku took a moment to think over the timeline. "Okay, so…One for All isn't your normal kind of quirk. It's not biological or genetic, technically."

His girlfriend's head tilted in confusion, but she didn't say anything.

Izuku's heart felt like it was about to burst out of his chest. "One for All is passed down by choice from one person to another. I was…I was given this quirk."

Violet eyes widened. "Oh, so— so, do you have two quirks, or…?"

This was it. "I was quirkless."

Silence.

He couldn't breathe. He'd known— well, he'd _hoped_— ever since he'd found out about Hiroyasu that she would be understanding, that this conversation would go well, but—

"That explains a lot of things, actually."

Izuku startled. "Huh?"

Asagao had a contemplative look on her face. "Why you help raise awareness to stop bullying quirkless kids. Your interest in Hiro. How you don't overuse your power even though you could. Your obsession with quirk studies. It…" she trailed off, eyes flickering back to meet his. "It connects a lot of dots."

He didn't know if there was any air in his lungs. "So you're not mad?"

"Why would I be mad?" she asked. "It doesn't really change anything, I just know more about you now. Who gave you your quirk?"

Oh right, that part. Izuku mentally slapped his face to get past the fact that _she didn't really care she wasn't mad oh thank god—_ "All Might."

If she'd been drinking water, he was sure she would've choked. _"O-Oh,"_ she stammered. "That's— o-okay, then. That…yeah, I can see that."

Izuku managed a small smile. "Yeah, I was surprised, too."

Izuku could see the cogs in her mind spinning. "How— wait, how does it get passed on? Is there a ritual or something?"

And now _he_ felt like the one who would be choking. "I-I, um, it's— yes," he struggled. "It's passed through DNA. I, ah…I had to eat a piece of his hair."

All at once, the tension in the room shattered. Asagao burst out laughing, burying her face in her hands as she said, "You're kidding!"

"I wish I was," he laughed. "It was awful."

"Oh my _god_," she gasped. "That is the wildest thing! When—?"

"Just before the entrance exam," he explained. "Shattered my arm because I couldn't control it yet. It sort of gets stronger each time it's passed down, so…it's a lot."

His girlfriend was wiping away tears now, her giggles slowing down. "I'm sure it is. So wait…who all knows? Hold up—" she cut him off before he could say anything, her eyes wide, "—does the League of Villains know? Is that why they got your hairs off me?"

He shook his head. "No, they don't know. And it's only passed on by choice. Even though they had my DNA, they couldn't have taken it from me by force."

"Whew, okay," Asa sighed. "That was…okay, I'm glad I didn't know that back then."

Izuku squeezed her hand tightly. "It was early in the relationship anyways."

She nodded dazedly. She still seemed to be thinking things over, and he gave her time. After a minute, violet eyes looked up again. "So why now? Why are you telling me now? Not that I don't want to know," she promised, "but I'm sure you have a reason."

Green eyes flitted downward to their connected hands. He traced circles on her skin with his thumb, wondering how he should put it. "I…there's a lot of reasons," he admitted. "But mostly— do you remember what you said at the shop reopening? About the future of our relationship?"

"Yeah?"

He made himself look up. "Well…I want to make it clear that I want a future between us. I— I don't want this to end, and part of it continuing is you knowing all of me, and that includes my quirk. I don't want to hide that from you anymore. And I know it's a big step, and it's a really big secret you have to keep now, but— mphf!"

As she so often did, his girlfriend cut off his ramblings with a kiss. And as he always did in return, he wrapped his arms around her and melted into it.

* * *

**Please leave a review! Only about 6-7 more chapters left, and then: SHINSOU TIME!**


	28. Chapter 28

**I literally wrote all of this today in the last five hours. I was at a comic con all weekend, and I came home like 'oh yeah fanfiction right gotta write that.' Anyways, enjoy! **

* * *

"You know, one of these days I'd appreciate a _normal_ date."

Her hero immediately pouted, and Asagao held in a laugh. "I thought you said you were excited to come!"

Snickering, the florist bumped her shoulder against his. "I'm messing with you, Izuku. So where are we meeting up with everyone?"

"They should be here by now— oh, there's Kacchan!" Izuku pointed, his eyes brightening. He began tugging her along, and Asagao let herself be guided, appreciating a moment to look around.

The convention center they were in was absolutely massive. Everywhere Asa looked, there were shouting vendors, colorful signs, action figures, and heroes of every size, shape, and age, and she knew that if she hadn't been completely wrapped up in her fascination, she would've felt overwhelmed. The annual January Tokyo hero conference was well known around the world, and, obviously, Asa had been Izuku's first choice as his plus one.

She was shaken out of her reverie by the jostle of Izuku waving his free hand excitedly. When violet eyes re-focused on their objective, Asagao immediately felt a million questions spring up in the back of her mind, mainly:

Were Ground Zero and Red Riot holding hands?

"Midoriya-kun!" Kirishima greeted with a wide, toothy smile. "How's it going? And Nakano-san! I'm so glad you're here, too! It's pretty crazy, right?"

Asa let out a laugh, "Yeah, it's a lot." The redhead nodded understandingly, and the florist let her gaze travel back down to the pair of joined hands in front of her. "So…just curious—"

Before she could get out another word, Bakugo stepped forward. "Gotta problem with it?" he growled.

She put up her hands in a peaceful gesture. "No, no, not at all! I just didn't—" Asa turned to give Izuku a questioning look. "You didn't mention it, why not?"

Her hero shrugged. "They keep it on the down low. All the heroes know, but they try to keep it out of the public eye so they—"

"YOU CALLIN' ME A COWARD, DEKU?" Bakugo roared.

Asagao jumped at the sudden volume change, but Kirishima just chuckled, lifting his free hand and smoothing a piece of ash blonde hair out of the explosive hero's eyes. As he did so, Asa noticed a sparkle on his finger— _oh_, it was a ring! With a little red ruby on it! That's so cute!

"You know he didn't mean it that way," Kirishima soothed. Bakugo huffed, and his apparent fiancé turned to give Asa a smile. "It was my decision to not be super public about it. Not that we don't think people would be accepting or anything— we just work with different agencies, people like to make up gossip, blah blah blah. I don't know, there were just a lot of things to think about. It's just easier this way!"

As Asa nodded, Bakugo's lip jutted out in a pout. "We're in the top ten. If anyone says anything, then I don't give a fu—"

"We're well aware you don't care, Kacchan," Izuku laughed.

"Literally _everyone_ is aware of that."

The group turned to see Todoroki, stoic as ever, and Asagao brightened. "Hey!"

"Hi," he nodded cordially. "So what is it that Bakugo-kun doesn't care about this time?"

Kirishima— clearly abandoning all pretense of being casual— slung an affectionate arm around Bakugo's shoulders, squeezing tightly. "Oh, just me and my husband-to-be and how we're still not public even though the wedding is in seven months, that's all."

Asa opened her mouth to ask if they'd hired a florist yet, but Bakugo's hands started popping in aggravation.

"DON'T MAKE IT SOUND LIKE I'M ASHAMED OF YOU, DAMMIT!" he shouted. He pushed Kirishima off of him, and Asagao was just about to ask Izuku if this was normal, when Bakugo grabbed his fiancé by the shirt collar and crushed his lips against his.

"Aww," Asagao said.

"Why is he like this," Todoroki droned at the exact same time.

Izuku just chuckled. "Kirishima-kun has a point, though. People will definitely find out once they're married. It'd probably be best to go ahead and make an announcement before someone else does it for them."

"Yeah," Asa sighed, "From experience, I can agree with that."

Though she hadn't meant it to, her statement caused her boyfriend to press a kiss to her hair— and she wasn't going to complain.

The next moment, the engaged couple in front of them finally broke apart, and they had very different reactions. While Kirishima's face was as red as his hair, Bakugo simply put up a middle finger and said, "THERE! SEE? NOT ASHAMED!"

"If you're not ashamed, do it again!" a familiar goading voice called out. This time when they turned around, it was to see most of the rest of Izuku's graduating class.

Kaminari was grinning like a crazy man, and Jirou was hiding her face in her hands next to them. Besides them, there was also Momo and Iida, both of whom were holding hands and waved kindly at her, as well as Lemillion and Suneater, who she hadn't met yet, though she knew they got married a couple years ago.

Suddenly, Asagao realized she needed to get some vital information if she was going to be socializing with all these people for a day, and she cleared her throat loudly over the beginnings of catch-up conversation. All eyes turned to her, and she blushed.

"Sorry, I just…I just found out about Bakugo-san and Kirishima-san, and I—" she struggled to figure out how to say it, "—long story short, my brother is bisexual, and I want to be respectful, and I just don't wanna, like, make any assumptions or call anyone by the wrong pronouns, so— not that you don't have to tell me if you're not comfortable, but—"

Thankfully, her ramblings were cut off by a chorus of different words.

"Genderfluid."

"Straight!"

"Pan, I think?"

"Meh, I don't really care."

"Lesbian!"

"Queer."

"They/them pronouns, please."

"I'm ace," was the final answer, given by Todoroki in a deadpan, and Asagao nodded.

"Sorry if that was weird," Asa added quickly. "I just don't want to hurt anyone's feelings or something."

"Never apologize for being respectful, Nakano-san!" Iida called out, slicing his hand neatly through the air. "It is not often that people are so considerate! I know that I and my classmates appreciate it!"

There was a round of nods, and Asagao let out a sigh of relief. At the same moment, Izuku squeezed her hand.

"Alright, bonfire happy time's over," Bakugo grunted. "Let's get to the games! I wanna beat Deku's time from last year!"

Violet eyes flickered to her boyfriend. "Games?"

Izuku nodded as the group began walking toward the far corner of the convention center. "They hold a lot of contests. It's not super serious—"

"YOU BETTER TAKE IT SERIOUS, DEKU!"

"—but," he continued, rolling his eyes and laughing, "it's just a fun thing for all the heroes to take part in. There's standard carnival games like dart throwing and stuff, and then there's combat-style competitions, too."

"Huh, sounds pretty cool."

"Yup! I think you should go for one," he said, bumping his shoulder against hers.

Asagao snorted. "We'll see. Is that why you told me to bring my gauntlet?"

"Yeah! I thought—"

A blur of blonde hair and bright blue eyes appeared out of thin air in front of them. "Hi there!"

The florist startled. "Oh! Lemillion! Hi!"

"Mirio," Suneater groaned softly next to him, his face ducked down. "You interrupted them. That's rude."

"Oh, sorry," the hero laughed brightly. "Didn't mean to, but we just haven't met! Midoriya-kun and I used to intern together when we were at UA!"

Asagao smiled. She knew that already because Izuku had told her— hearing the story meant a lot now that she knew Eri personally. Speaking of which, didn't Hiro tell her that he and Eri would be here today?

"—and I heard about you through the magazines and texted Midoriya-kun, and he said we'd meet eventually, but then there was that whole thing, and I hope you're alright—"

"Mirio," Suneater murmured again, one hand reaching out to take his husband's. "You're overwhelming her."

When the hero immediately shut his mouth, Asagao laughed. "Don't worry, you're fine! I'm used to a chatterbox," she joked, tossing a knowing look at Izuku. No wonder the two got along.

A sheepish grin came onto Lemillion's face. "Sorry, I just get excited. I'm Mirio, by the way! Just call me Mirio! And this is my husband, Tamaki."

"Tamaki-kun is fine," the shy hero whispered.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Mirio and Tamaki-kun," Asa said, smiling. "We were just talking about the competitions— what's your favorite?"

Automatically, Tamaki was covering his face and Mirio was laughing heartily. "Don't tell them," Tamaki wheezed, but it was too late.

"My kitten always does the eating contest!" Mirio told her. "He wins every year!"

The other hero's elven ears were bright red. "Only the last four years," he protested weakly.

"Which is every year you guys have been coming," Izuku pointed out. "I don't know how you do it, Tamaki-kun! I thought I'd pass out when I tried a couple years ago!"

Tamaki pulled the hood of his sweatshirt down to cover his face. "_Please_ change the subject."

Mirio laughed but obliged, pressing a sweet kiss to his husband's cheek. "Of course, kitten. So, what do you think, Nakano-chan? You gonna go for any contests? I've heard all about your skills!"

"It's nothing compared to you guys, really," she replied. "I guess if I see anything I'm interested in, I might, but I didn't really plan on—"

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the woman of the hour."

All at once, the warm camaraderie that had spread through the group of friends turned cold. Asagao didn't recognize the voice, but it seemed everyone else did. They were just on the fringe of the competition area, and all of them spun around to face the mystery man.

"**You**," Bakugo growled.

"How did he even get in here?" Asa heard Momo whisper behind her.

"Asagao," Izuku murmured, his hand slipping around her waist. "Why don't you walk ahead? I think—"

"No, no, please don't take away the main," dark eyes scanned over her lecherously, "_attraction_."

It clicked all at once.

"Mineta," Todoroki said, stepping forward. "I advise you leave before I personally escort you out."

"And if he doesn't, I'll be next in line," Bakugo claimed.

Many of the people in the group were now not-so-subtly moving forward to stand in front of Asagao, and when Izuku handed her off to Momo and Ashido, she knew why.

Minoru Mineta had been the only failure from Izuku's graduating class. Barely a year into his professional hero career, he'd been charged with multiple sexual harassment and assault charges, many of which were far too easy to prove. He'd seemingly had a disgusting disregard for getting caught, ignoring the obvious such as the many cameras and comms in every corner of his hero agency. In the end, that had been his downfall.

Asagao gave one last glance back at her boyfriend before she was herded away. His expression was tense and angry, but he managed a smile just for her before he and the rest of the gang followed through on Todoroki's threat.

"Gross," a crackly voice said over her shoulder. Asa turned to see Dark Shadow scowling, matching the expression of its owner. It noticed her stare, swooping down and nuzzling its fuzzy beak against her head. "They'll get 'em, don't worry."

"How that man-child got a reduced prison sentence, I'll never know," Tokoyami muttered.

"Good lawyer, I guess," Shoji shrugged.

"Clearly the best one in town," Momo scoffed. Her kind eyes turned to Asagao. "Are you alright?"

Asa nodded. "Nothing I can't handle."

Ashido grinned and tugged on her arm. "Good! Now come on, let's get going to those games! I know your boyfriend wouldn't want you to miss out!"

Smiling once more, Asagao let herself be pulled along. Everyone's concern had been sweet, but honestly, she hadn't been worried one bit. As if Izuku would ever let someone as creepy as Mineta get away with anything with her. No, with him at her side, she was as invincible as always, and she'd known that.

Still, it was nice to be with more of the girls right now. Most of the group that had stayed with her were the heroines from Izuku's class, and Asagao hadn't gotten to know them that well. She wandered around with them, cheering as they competed in different games and laughing with them whenever something ridiculous happened (especially the pie to Asui's face, but she didn't seem to mind too much).

She had just gotten a text from Izuku that he should be back from handing Mineta over to security when an obnoxiously loud voice nearly burst her eardrums.

"AHA! IT'S HER! THE STAR OF THE LATEST MIDORIYA DRAMA!"

"Ugh, not _him_," Ochako groaned next to her.

As usual, Asagao's curiosity overrode any self-preservation instincts. She turned around to see a group three: a woman with long vines for hair, a man with wild blue eyes and blond hair, and—

"Shinsou!" Asa greeted. "I didn't know you'd be here today!"

The underground hero's face twitched, and— oh yeah, sometimes she honestly still forgot about what happened between them. In her mind, he was like an old friend she just hadn't seen in a while. But in his…

"My, my, looks like Class A's new sweetheart still takes a liking to you," the blond tsked. "How _tragic_ that—"

Anything else he could say was cut off by a vine wrapping around his mouth. "That's enough, Monoma-kun," the woman said softly. Her gentle green eyes turned to face Asa. "Sorry, his usual handler isn't here today. My name is Shiozaki Ibara. I've been wanting to meet you to discuss our similar quirks."

"O-Of course!" Asagao stammered. Honestly, she was still pretty thrown by the quick twists and turns the social interactions of this day had presented her. She still didn't know what to do about Shinsou, who frankly looked like he wanted to disappear into the floor.

Thankfully, Shiozaki filled the silence before it could become awkward. "I was just about to play a round of cup stacking. It's an American game, and it's used as a test of skill for those of us who have unique appendages. Shoji-kun and Tokoyami-kun," she said, looking at them, "would you like to join as well?"

It seemed the group was more than happy to ignore the muffled screaming coming from Monoma as they made their way toward the game. At one point, Asa had finally gathered the courage to say something to Shinsou— but when she turned to face him, he was gone. She tried to ignore the hurt in her heart, knowing that chasing after him would probably only make things worse. Maybe one day they could be friends again. One day.

Once they were at the station, Asagao distracted herself by watching others play the cup stacking game. It seemed simple enough, or at least it would be if she was just using her hands. But her vines? How would she even do that? Plus, she needed a plant, and—

"I believe you need this?"

Violet eyes blinked. In front of her was a hand holding a thick green vine. Asa looked up to see Shiozaki's kind eyes staring at her unblinkingly.

The florist began to reach out, but stopped herself. "Are you…are you sure?"

"Yes," the heroine answered. "You need a plant for your quirk to work, correct? Assuming my hair is usable, this should be what you need to participate in the competition."

Asagao smiled gratefully. "Thank you so much."

With a nod, the other woman turned her attention back to the game. Their group would be up in about ten minutes to compete. The florist let her eyes wander as they waited, drifting over the sea of people with mild interest.

And then, there— she saw it.

On the outskirts of the contest area were Hiroyasu and Eri, holding hands and walking along like they were in their own little world.

Asagao covered her hand with her mouth to hide her wide grin.

* * *

One second, Hiro was happy. He was holding an ice cream cone in one hand and Eri's soft, petite hand in the other. He was at the biggest hero convention in the country, witnessing incredible support items left and right, and for once, being around all of the hero stuff didn't make him feel inferior, and everything was just perfect.

The next second, Hiro felt like a complete idiot.

Eri stared down at his fallen ice cream. "I would rewind it if I could," she joked dryly.

He prayed the earth would open up and swallow him whole. This was supposed to be their first hang-out, technically-not-date-but-sort-of date, and here he was being his usual clumsy self, and he just wanted to _die_.

Suddenly, all those feelings about being inferior came rushing to the surface. Eri could do so much better than him. She could be with someone who wasn't clumsy, who had a quirk, who was cool and could talk without stammering all the time, but no. She'd decided to stick with him, and at this point he was too scared to ask if it was just out of pity.

An attendant was already coming by to clean up the mess, and after he got out a stuttered apology, Eri tugged him away.

Hiro's face was burning. He couldn't do this. Why did he think he could do this? And oh great, now they were wandering into the area with the quirk contests, none of which he could compete in, and—

"Look."

Sad brown eyes followed the invisible line her pointed finger indicated, and Hiro tilted his head. "One of the games? But I-I…I can't compete!"

Eri didn't listen. She started pulling him toward it. "It's an accuracy game. I played it last year. It's not just for quirks— they have other things you can use to hit the target."

What she was implying came to mind, and heat flooded his face. "E-Eri-chan, I— you— you know I don't do that in public!" he protested. "It's a secret!"

"And as I've told you before, it's dumb that you keep it a secret," she replied. "You're probably the best archer I've ever seen."

And now he was blushing and muttering about how no, that couldn't possibly be true, but she still didn't listen. Before he knew it, he was in front of the weapons station, and the look in her eyes dared him to turn away. Sighing, he searched until he found a bow similar to the one he kept in his dorm room. It was just something he'd started learning after he'd found out he was quirkless. He remembered hearing about this American hero who was powerless all except for their archery skills— and the man was apparently deaf, too!

So yeah, archery had just been this thing to make him feel better as a kid. It made him feel good to have some sort of combat skill up his sleeve, even though he'd probably never have to use it. And over the years, he'd just kept up with it. When he was stressed, he'd go to a range and shoot— it was relaxing, somehow.

But he never _ever_ did it in front of anyone besides his family. Or Eri, but that had only started because she'd caught him shooting one time and wouldn't stop bugging him about it.

And here he was. In a crowd full of pro heroes. With Eri watching, her arms crossed expectantly like usual. His blood was rushing loudly through his ears, and his heart felt like it was going to burst out of his chest, and before he knew it, he was up at the front of the line.

The scoreboard was up on a big screen. Ten shots. You had ten shots, and that was it. The most anyone had scored dead center was six.

Hiroyasu closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. Something old and familiar locked into place in the back of his mind. Brown eyes flashed open again.

He drew back the first arrow. It sprung free and hit dead center.

He did it again. It also hit the center.

As did the next.

And the next.

And the next.

He could vaguely hear murmurs of shock mingled with the cheers of children, but it all just sounded like white noise.

In quick succession, he fired off the final five arrows. Each one landed in the center circle.

There was a roar from the surrounding audience, and Hiroyasu was flung back into reality. He dropped the bow, staring blankly at the target in disbelief. And when his face appeared at the top of the scoreboard, above all of the pro heroes, he bolted into action.

Eri wasn't far. She was just where she had been, about ten feet to his left. Her arms were uncrossed, and there was a knowing grin on her face, and whether it was the adrenaline or something else, Hiro didn't hesitate in cupping her face and pressing his lips to hers.

She sank into him immediately, petite hands wrapping around his neck and holding him tight. Hiro felt like sobbing or screaming or jumping up and down, _something_, but her soft lips on his kept him grounded.

There was clapping. He vaguely realized he was trembling— probably the leftover nerves finally hitting him. And when someone bumped into them and he stumbled back, Hiroyasu's mouth dropped open in horror.

"I-I," he stammered. "I-I didn't— I mean, I did— if you, if you want to rewind that, I totally—"

Eri pulled him back in.

* * *

To be fair, Asagao thought that coming in fifth place for her round was pretty decent. But apparently, that equaled first place in her boyfriend's mind.

"I was watching from around the corner, and I didn't want to distract you, but you did amazing!" he cried as he lifted her up and spun her around. "That was wonderful, Asagao!"

Her hero set her down, and Asagao had to hold onto his arms to stay standing up. Being spun around like that tended to make her dizzy. "Thanks," she giggled.

Izuku stared at her for a moment, eyes shining, before he gave in and tugged her in for a tight hug. She melted into him, nuzzling his shirt with her nose, and he sighed. "I'm sorry I had to run off like that," he murmured. "I didn't want him around you for a second longer."

"Thanks for taking care of it," she whispered back. "I appreciate it."

He let out another deep breath before he stepped back. Her boyfriend leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "I just wish it hadn't taken time away from us being together," he said. "I promise we'll have a normal date for Valentine's day, okay?"

Rolling her eyes, Asagao caught his hand in hers and pulled him toward another game. "It's fine, Izuku, really. Now come on— I wanna watch you try to stay on the mechanical bull!"

* * *

**A bit of a filler/fluff chapter, but of course it still moved some smaller pieces of the plot along! Only a few more chapters left! ****Please leave a review, and ten points to your Harry Potter house if you can tell me who the American hero Hiro admires is! **


	29. Chapter 29

**1\. To anyone who said it was Hawkeye, ten points to your house!**

**2\. To the person who asked if I had certain people picked out for the gender and sexual identities...sort of? I definitely have headcannons, but I also wanted to keep it open ended for people to guess and choose someone to relate to. **

**Anyways, enjoy!**

* * *

Izuku was practically skipping— no, scratch that, he was floating. Flying? Dancing? Using One for All at a trillion percent? Whatever, it didn't matter. All he knew was that he was so hopelessly, amazingly, desperately in love, and he was all too thrilled to show it.

He'd specifically asked for time off tonight months ago. Logically, he knew that being a hero never stopped, but just this once, he wanted it to. Sure, there was really no objective reason that today was special other than the fact that the calendar dictated it as such, but still. This time last year, he hadn't even known she'd existed. And now, on their first Valentine's Day together, he wanted to make it special.

The number one pro hero stepped back to take in his work. There was a table for two, lacy tablecloth, candles, roses and all. It was on top of a roof downtown, providing a beautiful skyline view. Getting the place reserved had been…awkward. Izuku still didn't like using his pull for his own uses, but for Asagao, he could easily justify it.

The soothing tones of the American artist Frank Sinatra were playing on a speaker in the corner, and Izuku checked his phone again out of habit. Todoroki said he'd be bringing their food in about an hour, which was just the right timing.

"Midoriya-kun, it's really no trouble," his best friend had said when he'd fretted over it for the millionth time. "What else was I going to do tonight anyways— third wheel on someone's date?"

Izuku took in a deep, calming breath. He wasn't nervous— well, not his usual kind of nervous. More like pressured. They'd been through so much. They'd almost known each other for a year now. He just wanted one night. One normal, simple, perfect night with Asagao where nothing crazy happened.

He shook his head of green curls. Worrying over it so much wouldn't help anything. All he needed to do was focus on Asagao (which was all too easy), and everything would be fine.

The hero took final stock of the situation. Candles, music, and a couple of blankets in case she got cold. Yup, this was going to be perfect.

Grinning widely, Izuku activated his quirk and shot off toward the clouds.

* * *

Her entire greenhouse was filled to the brim with pink and red, and for the first time in several years, Asagao didn't feel bitter looking at it. Valentine's Day had rolled around, bringing the usual influx of bouquet orders with it— as well as a date that she was all too thrilled for.

"It's a surprise!" her boyfriend kept saying every time she'd asked. That didn't stop her from constantly bugging him about it, even though she'd never managed to get a good answer.

The florist had been contemplating her outfit all week, and after deciding that she didn't feel like invoking the holiday's traditional colors, she settled for jeans, a white blouse, and boots. That morning when she'd stepped outside and felt the cold air, she'd also decided to grab a jacket just in case. Izuku had let something slip about being outdoors for a bit.

Her date outfit was stowed away in the back, ready to be tossed on just as soon as she was done dusting pollen off the shelves. Asa hummed a little tune as she closed up the shop. The flowers around her bobbed their petaled heads happily— even the _asagaos_ didn't seem to protest her good mood.

When the shop bell jingled behind her, she didn't have to look back to see who it was. It was something she'd realized more after Izuku had opened up about his quirk. He had this…presence to him. There was this feeling of steady power that thrummed through the air around him. It wasn't intimidating or overwhelming, it just was.

Therefore, she didn't startle when muscled arms wrapped around her waist. "Love your outfit for our date," he murmured into her hair, tone teasing. "The soil on your apron really brings out your eyes."

Asa fought back a grin. "You're the worst."

"Mm, I try."

She finally turned around and was more than happy to find eager lips waiting for hers. The kiss was short and sweet and left her feeling like she was floating on cloud nine. If it wasn't for the very prominent windows on her storefront, she would've asked for more.

Instead, she settled for throwing the dusty pollen rag in his face, laughing when he stumbled back coughing. "An eye for an eye," she joked before turning on her heel. "I'll go get changed!"

"I'll finish up the shop!" Izuku called after her. She gave him a thumbs up before slipping into the back.

Somewhere in the recesses of her mind, it occurred to her that what had just happened was…normal. In a nice way, that is. Domestic? Maybe that was the word for it. He'd been helping her with things related to the shop for several months now, but it just— wow, they really had integrated so comfortably into each other's lives so quickly, hadn't they?

Changing into her date outfit and fixing her hair took about five minutes, and when she returned to find Izuku flicking off the lights in a pristine, perfectly in order shop, that warm, comfortable feeling returned. It was so strange to think that this time last year, he was only a part of her life through magazines and tv interviews. If she was being honest with herself, she was starting to get to the point of not being able to imagine going back to such a way of living.

(And if she was even _more_ honest with herself, then she would allow her heart and mind to accept that Izuku had made it perfectly clear he had the exact same feelings, and then she could melt in the wondrous idea that they would always be together, but that was too soon, wasn't it?)

"All ready to go?" her boyfriend asked.

The florist stepped forward and laced their fingers together. "Yup. Where to?"

A familiar grin came onto Izuku's face. "It's still a surprise, Asagao. You'll see when we get there."

"Ugh," she groaned, throwing her head back. "Fine."

Her hero was snickering as she locked the front door, and Asa let her dramatics fall away in favor of a contented smile. Whatever he had planned, she was sure it would be worth the wait.

When the pair stepped out from the safety the niched shop door provided, they were immediately hit with a gust of cool wind. It took only half a second for Asagao to throw her arms around his waist in search of heat, and Izuku responded by wrapping an arm around her shoulders and squeezing tight.

"So how was work?" she asked routinely as they started walking.

"Oh, I, uh— I didn't have work today."

Asa lifted an eyebrow. "Oh? Villains behaving on Valentine's Day?"

There was the rumble of an amused chuckle. "No, I just asked off a while back."

Again, that lovely, bubbly warmth filled her chest. Izuku rarely took time off— he'd admitted to her a few weeks ago that it'd been years since he took a proper vacation.

She half-wondered if he could feel the adoration trying to burst out of her when she nuzzled her cheek against his coat and said, "I love you."

Her hero pecked the top of her head. "I love you, too."

They continued their journey in comfortable silence, both letting their eyes wander around the bustling city streets. The sun was just beginning to set, casting everything in a soft glow of golden yellow, and Asagao had barely started to realize that their route seemed familiar to her when they turned the corner and she gasped.

"I used to come here in the spring as a kid!" she told him. Izuku laughed, but she hardly heard it.

In front of them was a beautiful wisteria garden. The flowers had been forced into a tunnel by a series of half-moon metal sheets, and though they weren't blooming, the spindly vines were decorated with little hanging lights. They illuminated the entire tunnel, and Asa turned toward Izuku with shimmering eyes.

"This is _perfect_, Izuku," she whispered. "I didn't know they did this in the winter! It's beautiful!"

His gorgeous green eyes were shining in the lights, gazing down at her fondly, when he shook his head. "This isn't the date, Asagao. We're just taking the scenic route."

If it wasn't for the many other couples around them, Asa would've pulled him down and crashed her lips against his. He was just so— how was he so amazing? This wasn't even the date, and it was already so wonderful, and—

"Don't worry," he murmured. "There'll be time for that later."

Asagao's heart skipped a beat. She'd been so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed him lean in. Izuku's voice was warm and promising, his breath tickling her ear, and she shivered. When he pulled back, she saw heat in his eyes and— oh, she must have been looking at him the same way.

She grinned shyly. He responded by pressing a far too chaste kiss to her lips.

They refocused on the sights in front of them without too much trouble. Their footsteps were slow, unhurried, a nice change of pace for two people who were so busy all the time.

All around them were other couples also enjoying the glowing tunnel, wrapped up in their own little worlds just like they were, and not at all paying attention to Asagao and Izuku. It was…nice. Normal, for once. She'd gotten used to having eyes on her wherever she went with Izuku, and to blend in for even just a little bit was a welcome relief.

"So," she said after a while, and he hummed to indicate he was listening. "Still not telling me where we're going after this?" They were nearing the end of the tunnel, and her curiosity was starting to get the better of her.

And again, her boyfriend just shot her a grin. "It only takes a few minutes to get there from here. I promise, just a little while longer, and—"

_"AH!"_

The couple whipped around. Back up the path of the tunnel, a woman was on the ground, clutching at her stomach. Asagao and Izuku rushed forward without another thought.

A small crowd was already gathering when they reached her. Another woman was next to the first, holding her hand and asking what was wrong. As soon as Izuku stepped through, the crowd shuffled back to give them space.

"What happened?" he asked, voice calm and steady.

"I-I don't know," the second woman stammered. "She was fine— we were about to go to a movie, a-and then she just fell!"

Asagao frowned. As she kneeled down next to the fallen woman, she asked, "Any known medical conditions?"

When the woman shook her head, Asa and Izuku made eye contact. The florist vaguely heard her boyfriend telling the other woman to call for an ambulance. Violet eyes were searching, trying to remember some of the first aid things she was taught in school. The woman was clearly breathing, but it was slow, and she almost looked…peaceful? That didn't make sense. If this was something bad like a stroke, then she wouldn't be that way.

And that's when she caught it.

There was a glint of silver. It just barely poked out of the woman's shirt on her side, right near the grass and almost completely out of view. Violet eyes narrowed, then widened.

It was a dart.

Wordlessly, she grabbed her boyfriend's hand. "Izuku—"

There was a scream.

"Everybody get down!" her hero yelled.

Asagao ducked, throwing her arms over her head uselessly. Something hard and warm covered her— Izuku. There were more screams, and then, silence again. When they looked up, a quarter of the crowd was passed out on the ground. And on the other end of the tunnel, advancing with no intention of stopping, was a person in a dark cloak.

"Shit," Izuku gasped. "Everyone run!"

Those that could did, but several stayed behind with their loved ones, crying out desperate pleas for them to wake up.

"They're not dead— you have to go!" Asagao shouted over the noise. A dart flew past her, narrowly avoiding her shoulder. Autopilot kicked in. She dug her hand into her purse and snapped on the gauntlet.

People were running past them. The cloaked figure was approaching. Izuku turned to her, green eyes darkened. "Asagao, you have to go, too. I'll handle this."

Violet eyes narrowed defiantly. "I'm not leaving you."

The hero mask cracked, worry shining through. "I need you _safe_."

"No," she countered, hand whipping out and grasping the nearest wisteria branch, "You need a shield."

On command, the wisteria connected to her, and it was all she could do to not fall down at the sheer force of it. It was such a big life, could she really—? No, she had to. Izuku was a lot of things, but immune to sleeping darts wasn't one of them. He was their best chance to save everyone here, and if he got knocked out, it was game over. He needed to protect everyone, and she needed to protect him.

He had his job. She had hers.

A wall of branches burst forth, groaning and creaking as they formed a protective barrier in front of him. Izuku's eyes were shining bright— she would never be able to name every single emotion that was in them.

But with him secure, Asagao just closed her eyes and focused.

Her mind space had never felt so chaotic. It was straining at the weight of the wisteria— shit, she really hadn't ever taken on such a big plant before. Even just the small section she was controlling weighed down on her, and Asa forced herself to turn the dial up on the gauntlet. She could take it. She had to.

There were echoes of screams from the outside world. She heard them, heard Izuku yelling— but she didn't open her eyes. She couldn't. She couldn't afford to lose focus. This was where she was needed right now.

There was a murderous snarl, and Asa felt her knees buckle as darts began to sink into the branches. It wouldn't hurt her like it had the others, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt. They were like tiny thorns, digging and searing, and she bit her tongue to keep from crying out.

Another scream, the feeling of raw power bursting out, and then—

"A-Asagao? Asagao, please—"

Violet eyes blinked open blearily.

"Asagao, oh thank god!" Izuku's voice was watery as he picked her up. He cradled her close to his chest, and she leaned her full weight against him.

"It's over now, it's over," he murmured into her hair. "I, I can't believe you— thank you, Asagao, thank you, but please, never again, never—"

Sirens wailed in the distance.

* * *

Izuku had texted someone on their way home, but she'd been too exhausted to notice. When they trudged into his front door, he guided her upstairs, and when she slumped out of his hold and onto the bed, he didn't protest.

Asagao drifted off into a mindless daze. She'd been doing that for the past hour. It had taken a while to get everything sorted out, to pass on the information they had, to ask to be informed when those hit would wake up. The only thing that had kept her awake through it all was Izuku's steady hand on her back, never leaving, never wavering.

A gentle shake on her shoulder brought her out of her rambling thoughts. She opened her eyes. Izuku was in front of her with a covered dish in his hands. She blinked, and his eyes flicked away sheepishly.

"I— I had this whole thing on a rooftop, and Todoroki-kun brought it, and it…well, it doesn't matter," he decided. He lifted the cover, and she unwittingly breathed a happy sigh when she saw a massive salad decked out with chicken, fruit, and lots and lots of green.

Izuku handed it over, pressing a kiss to her forehead as he did. "You get refueled. I'm gonna shower real quick, and then I'll check you over, okay? Shout if you need anything."

Well, she didn't have to be told twice.

Time passed by irrelevantly as she stuffed one forkful after another into her mouth. Once it was finished, she no longer felt like she'd been hit by a bus, but she didn't exactly feel fantastic, either. Plus, she was finally coherent enough to notice how much of a mess she was.

Just as she began to pick at her once-white blouse, the door to the bathroom opened. "Ah, yeah, I'll— I'll buy you a new one." Asagao looked up to see Izuku in a t-shirt and sleep shorts, toweling off his hair. "I don't think any amount of dry cleaning is gonna get the stains out."

Asa nodded dumbly in agreement. He was probably right— he had more experience with this sort of stuff than she did. Her shirt was covered in a mix of dirt and blood (whose blood, she wasn't sure, because it couldn't be hers). The shoulder was ripped, one of the cuffs was torn off, and some of the buttons had come undone.

Sighing, the florist began to unbutton the rest of them. It didn't really matter. It was just a shirt, after all. It was only when it was open, though, that she realized that oh…the blood _was_ hers.

Izuku rushed over to her immediately, eyes wide with horror. Gentle fingers went to her chest— but there were no wounds. Just marks of blood in places that felt vaguely familiar.

"The wisteria," she muttered in realization. "It took the shots for me. Maybe this is what happens."

When she glanced up, her boyfriend's lip was trembling. "I—" he sucked in a sharp breath. "First aid. I'll— I'll be right back."

He dashed out of the room. Asagao continued shrugging her shirt off, and then went for the rest of her outfit. It was all dirty, really, and she knew she had some pajamas tucked away in his closet to change into.

Asagao had just pulled a blanket over her mostly naked body for modesty's sake when Izuku came charging back in, first aid kit in hand. He knelt down and immediately got to work. The room fell silent, save for her occasional hisses of pain from the alcohol and his soft apologies.

She had just let out another hiss when a tear finally overflowed from his glassy eyes.

Asa watched it trail down his cheek. She didn't realize she was reaching toward him until she wiped it away, and he shuddered. Sad green eyes looked up into hers.

"I'm so sorry," Izuku whispered. "I hate seeing you like this. I wish you'd run, but— but I couldn't have done that without you, and I hate that, too, because I don't want you in danger. I-I…I just wanted one normal night, just _one_, but then something bad happened again, and I—"

Asa pressed a finger to his lips, silencing him. "I think we need to stop having 'normal' as an expectation."

Another tear spilled over. "Maybe."

There was a moment where neither of them knew what to say. He was done cleaning her up, and now, his fingers simply glided over where the blood had been, Izuku staring at her skin dazedly.

Finally, Asagao cupped Izuku's face and made him look at her. "Normal is different for everyone," she said. "Our normal doesn't have to look like everyone else's."

The tears stopped. She could only describe the look on his face as awe, mouth dropped open slightly and eyes wide. Something was shifting in the air around them, and when he leaned forward, she closed her eyes and let him have her.

Strong hands took ahold of her thighs as their lips moved against one another. He lifted her into the air, and she was set back down again on the middle of the bed. Her hair pooled around her on the pillows, and the blanket that had been covering her began to slide off.

Izuku was surrounding her, one thigh slipped between her legs and his lips now trailing down her neck. But it wasn't enough. An unbearable heat was growing inside of her. She could tell it was taking him over, too.

But they took it slowly— almost painfully so. Like the gentleman he was, he asked before taking off each remaining garment of clothing. He told her to tell him to stop if she wasn't comfortable, to let him know what he could do to make things go as well as possible, and she just told him to please go ahead.

* * *

She woke up the next morning warm and happy. An arm was around her waist, and Izuku was still snuggled up to her, scrolling through his phone with a pensive look.

Asa shifted, and he instantly put his phone down. They greeted each other with a lazy kiss, both grinning sleepily.

"Morning," he murmured when they parted. "Sleep well?"

The florist nodded, curling back into his chest. "Mmhm. What were you looking at?"

Her boyfriend let out a deep sigh. "Email from the agency. Multiple media outlets are asking for you to do an interview as soon as possible."

She quirked an eyebrow. "Interview? Like on tv?"

"Yup." Asa made a face, and Izuku chuckled. "Yeah, I figured. What do you want to do?"

"Mm, I'll think of something. Right now, all I want to do is stay here with you."

"Yes, please."

* * *

"Here at Your Hero News Today, we have an exciting exclusive statement from Deku's girlfriend, Nakano Asagao! As you know, the couple was caught in the middle of a villain attack while going on their Valentine's Day date. Together, they were able to evacuate forty citizens, as well as ensure the safety of the fifteen who had been injured. Nakano-san declined our offer for an interview, but she says that this statement comes from the bottom of her heart.

'Dear citizens, I waited a while to say anything about the attack because I wasn't sure what to say. But after some time to think about it, I have a few words.

One, I've heard many people referring to the attacker's quirk as evil. This is odd to me, because a quirk is a quirk. They are not inherently good or bad, they just are. Those of us who have quirks decide how we are going to use them just like we decide how we will use any other ability we have.

Two, being a hero is a state of mind, not a matter of quirks, profession, identity, or anything else. I was in the right place at the right time to act. Anyone can do that, and if you find yourself in a situation where you can help, I hope you will.

I am grateful for the opportunity to help and am glad to hear that those injured have recovered.

Sincerely,  
Nakano Asagao'

Well, that was certainly some speech! She definitely used her platform to make a statement! What do you think? Follow us on Twitter where we've posted her statement in its entirety and let us know your thoughts! For Your Hero News Today, this is Abe, signing off."

* * *

**The end is nigh for this story (just two more weeks), but again: SHINSOU IS COMING SOON! And for those of you who wanted a sex scene- this is still rated T, so sorry.**


	30. Chapter 30

**This is the final chapter, and I'm not gonna lie, I'm kinda emotional. This story has gotten me through some rough times, and I'm so grateful for all the love and support it has gotten. Next Sunday, there will be an epilogue + a first look at the Shinsou story!**

**So, for the second to last time, please enjoy!**

* * *

Izuku thinks about proposing to Asagao a lot. Like, probably more than normal considering they've only known each other for ten months now.

He pushes aside the thoughts when he can, and more often than not, they are passing thoughts like "wonder what kind of vacations she'd like to go on in the future?" or "wow, I hope this never ends."

But then March brings Momo and Iida's wedding, and well…that doesn't exactly help.

Asagao and Izuku are there several hours before the ceremony to ensure she has plenty of time to set up the flower arrangements. Izuku follows her commands to the letter, but his mind can't help but wander. What…what would this be like if it was…_them?_ What kind of place would it be at? Had she ever thought about what kind of flowers she herself would want? And worst of all, what would she look like in a pretty white dress?

The thoughts became more insistent when the ceremony started. The second Momo entered, Iida was crying, and when Izuku's own tears began to fall, he felt a petite hand entangle itself with his own.

There was a shift, then Asagao was whispering in his ear, "I brought tissues for you— they're in my purse. Do you need one?"

And just as had been happening so often lately, he fell a little deeper in love with her.

* * *

Izuku had seen Asagao in many outfits. From day one, he'd found her work apron weirdly adorable. Whenever they went out on dates, he swore her latest outfit was better than the last. And while he would never be one to tell her what to wear or look like, he had confessed that sleepy Asagao (messy hair, a t-shirt she'd stolen from him, and a relaxed smile) was his favorite look.

This, however, was pulling at new heartstrings.

The hero leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her pretty pink lips— ones that were as soft as the newly blooming cherry blossoms of April. "You're so cute," he murmured, to which she giggled.

"It's just my yukata," Asagao replied. "You've seen it hanging in my closet before."

Yes, but obviously it was much more different _on_.

Izuku liked many different colors on Asagao, but his favorite was always purple. It made her eyes pop, and this yukata certainly did that. It was a pale yellow satin, covered in various violet and cream blooming flowers. He could feel his heart swelling just looking at her, and so, he gave in and pecked her again.

"I know, I know, it's just—" _You're the most beautiful thing I've ever seen._ "I love you!"

His girlfriend was laughing again, now shaking her head. She took his hand in hers and began to make their way through the park. "Come on, silly, or we'll be late."

The hero let himself be tugged along, not at all paying attention to the cherry blossoms like he was supposed to. They were here for hanami, after all. But no, he just couldn't resist staring at Asagao. She was a much prettier sight in his opinion, anyway.

Izuku only broke out of his daze when he heard Kacchan yelling, "OI! WE SAID THREE ON THE HOUR, DEKU!"

And then Asagao was grinning, saying, "It's only a few minutes after, Bakugo-kun, calm down!"

To the surprise of most of their friends gathered under the trees, Kacchan just huffed and crossed his arms. "Tch, whatever. Come on, flower girl, I made the cheesecake like you wanted! Happy?!"

"Yes, very!" Asagao nodded. "Thank you!"

The florist sat down next to Bakugo, who started rambling through the recipe with her, and Kirishima and Izuku shared a knowing grin. At some point in the last few months, Asagao had become almost as good of a Kacchan-wrangler as his fiancé. No one quite knew how or when, but he'd gained this strange respect for her, and who were they to complain?

As they watched their significant others chat away, Kirishima leaned over and commented, "I've said it before and I'll say it again, Midoriya-kun— you really found a good one."

Izuku's heart skipped a beat. "Yeah, I really did."

* * *

May brought the day they'd been waiting for forever, but it wasn't quite going as planned.

They were currently resting off to the side of the path, Asagao leaned up against a boulder as she chugged more water. In hindsight, Izuku probably should've thought this through more. It wasn't that Asagao wasn't in shape, but…hiking up one of the most difficult trails just outside of Tokyo was probably not the best idea for her.

To be fair, she'd agreed when he'd proposed the idea, though maybe that was just because of the arrangement they'd come to. After revealing he hadn't been on a vacation in literally years, she'd decided that simply wouldn't do. It had taken a lot of convincing on her part, but Izuku was comfortable with the terms and conditions they'd agreed on.

Starting this month, he would take off (at the very least, she'd begged) one day. It wasn't a full-on vacation, per se, but it was a start in the right direction. And though they'd had the right spirit…yeah, looking at how exhausted Asagao was right now, maybe this wasn't a great idea.

"Just…a few…more…minutes," she huffed, and he winced. After all these years of having One for All, he'd slowly forgotten what it was like to not have all of these abilities. Hiking this mountain may have been a stroll in the park for him, but clearly not for her.

Suddenly, a metaphorical light bulb went off over his head.

Izuku knelt down and made deliberate eye contact with Asagao. "You're dying, aren't you," he said, less a question and more a statement. When she bobbed her head up and down, he gave her an awkward grin. "Sorry, I didn't— well, here, I have an idea."

"I'm all ears," she croaked.

Smiling a bit wider now, the hero turned around and signaled for her to climb up on his back. She did immediately, and when he felt a satisfied sigh against his neck, he knew he'd done the right thing.

"Next time, I get to choose our day-off activity," she mumbled.

Izuku chuckled, starting back up the path again. "Whatever you want, Asagao."

He vaguely wondered if she knew how much he meant that.

* * *

He knew his colleagues were staring (or rather, had been staring on and off for the last thirty minutes), but he couldn't stop his leg from bouncing up and down.

Logically, he knew it had only been a week and a half. He knew that if anything had gone awry, he would've been contacted immediately. But that didn't keep him from feeling anxious.

One thing he hated about secret missions was that they were that— secret. No one on the operation was allowed to tell anyone anything (unless, of course, they were married, in which case they could tell their spouse who would be sworn to secrecy, but Izuku tried to not linger on that caveat too much).

Missions like this also meant zero communication, and for someone who had gotten used to the near constant affection Asagao poured out…it was hard. Not being able to talk to her on the phone or even just text felt so foreign.

But thankfully, the beginning of June was finally over, and now he could spend the rest of the month with Asagao.

The wheels of the plane finally touched down. Izuku began to fiddle with the hem of his shirt restlessly. She said she would be there, unless there was an emergency at work. And Todoroki was going to escort her to make sure she didn't get ambushed by paparazzi. So she would be there. He would see her again in just a few minutes.

The time it took for the airplane to taxi to its disembarking zone felt like hours. Some of his colleagues were talking now, their eyes still flicking to him occasionally, and Izuku just shot them a strained smile. They knew why he was anxious to get off this plane— it was hardly a secret.

Some of them even chuckled when he dashed out of his seat the second he could. He shouted back a hurried "see you soon!" and would feel bad about not being very polite later, but right now, he didn't care.

As soon as he got through the disembarking tunnel, he ran through the airport towards the baggage claim. She would be there. Asagao would be there.

Izuku could hear excited screaming and the clamoring shouts of fans. He blocked it all out. Because when he rounded the final corner toward the exit, she was there. She was _there_.

He would contemplate later how nice it felt to come home to someone, how different it was from meeting up with his friends or even his mother. But for now, all he focused on was her glittering eyes and beaming smile as she ran to meet him halfway.

Wordlessly, Izuku picked her up and crashed his lips into hers. There were cameras clicking, lights flashing, reporters shouting— nope, he didn't notice any of it. It was just him and her and home.

* * *

"It's a big deal, dear."

"It's really not—"

"It's a _big deal_, Izuku."

The hero sighed and gave up. With the two most important women in his life in agreement, there was no arguing.

His birthday had always been met with…mixed emotions. Every year, July fifteenth rolled around. And every year, his dad still wasn't there to celebrate it with him.

Izuku had gotten over not having his dad in his life a long time ago. Going to UA and finding other father figures to fill the position had helped especially, but…there was just something about his birthday that always brought a tinge of sadness.

His mother went back to cooking dinner, but Asagao noticed his silence. Throwing out some random excuse about going to look through an old photo album, she lead him out of the kitchen to a quieter area of his mother's apartment.

They stood there for a moment, neither saying a word. Then, she took both of his hands in hers. "Do you need to talk about it?" she whispered.

Swallowing, he made to shook his head— then hesitated. "Maybe," he sighed. "I…yeah, maybe."

His girlfriend smiled up at him gently. "We have all the time in the world, Izuku. I just want you to enjoy your special day, you know? You're turning twenty-six! You're practically ancient," she teased.

Green eyes rolled, but he found himself laughing.

"Dinner's almost ready!" his mother called from the kitchen.

Feeling a bit better than he had a minute ago, Izuku snuck a kiss before they made their way back. And when they sat around the table talking about plans for his birthday…he actually started to believe he would enjoy it this year.

* * *

"Nope."

"Why not?"

Asagao quirked an eyebrow. "Because Kaminari-kun is in the water."

"DON'T WORRY, HE'S GOT A QUIRK INHIBITOR BRACELET ON!" Jirou shouted from her position next to her boyfriend.

Still, Asagao looked hesitant, but that seemed to be a good enough explanation as to why no one else was refusing to get in the ocean with the electric hero.

Though the couple usually liked for his monthly day off to be spent alone, they'd made an exception when the idea of going to the beach with others came up. As many of them that could took the day off too, and thus, the majority of Izuku's graduating class was now at Momo's family's private beach.

The August day was hot, and Izuku was frankly glad that Asagao had finally agreed to get in the water. He didn't like leaving her alone on the shore, but he also didn't like standing there sweating in the sun's relentless rays.

Izuku tried to not stare too much as Asagao stripped off her coverup. It wasn't like he hadn't seen her body before— he just felt like he might have trouble controlling himself. And they were around others, so right now really wouldn't be the time to carry her off and kiss her senseless.

As soon as she was down to a blue bikini, Asa surprised him by saying, "Race you there!" and darting off toward the sea.

Needless to say, he beat her. And as soon as she caught up, he promptly picked her up and tossed her straight into the water, both of them laughing the whole time. At one point, some seaweed got tangled around her foot and she squealed. He probably deserved her throwing it in his face in retaliation for chuckling at her.

At the end of the evening, the two managed to get some quiet time to themselves. They sat out on the dock wrapped up in each other's arms, lips moving slowly, and for the millionth time, Izuku thought, 'This. This is what I want forever.'

* * *

Having their usual positions switched felt…weird.

Asagao looked like she was half a second away from a panic attack at any moment, and Izuku felt almost the same way because he'd never seen her so anxious before and didn't know how to handle it.

To recap, after an incident involving a robbery and a high speed chase that Asagao helped to stop by using the roots of a tree, she sort of…_had_ to go get a hero license. His girlfriend or not, her continuing to act (even though it was in emergency situations only) had classified her as a vigilante. One more move, and the police would be required to get involved to regulate her quirk.

Therefore, this was really the only option left.

The past month had been spent training her every moment they could spare. At this point, she'd sparred with almost everyone in his graduation class, plus a few other pro heroes and sidekicks that were willing to lend a hand. Asagao wasn't trying to be a pro— she'd told him as much, even though he already knew that. But dating him came with risks, and she needed to be able to use her quirk when dangers arose.

So here they were, in a waiting room at the hero license agency, sitting in deadly silence.

Apparently the process for an adult to get their license was much different than what he'd gone through in high school, though no less intimidating. She would be pitted against various opponents in a variety of settings, measuring her ability for combat, decreasing collateral damage, and rescue efforts.

Izuku was just beginning to run over all of the training they'd done to prepare her for this moment again when a shaky hand touched his, and his eyes snapped up to see violet ones filled with tears.

"I-I can't do this," she stammered. "I'm not strong enough, there's no way I'll pass, I can't—"

He cut her off by tucking her head against his chest and wrapping his arms tight around her. "You forget, Asagao, that you're here because you're _already_ strong," he murmured. "People have seen that. In fact, I'd argue that you're here because some people are afraid of you."

Sniffling, his girlfriend looked up. "What do you mean?"

Izuku shrugged and began to stroke her hair. "Well, the way I see it, you're powerful enough to make people want you under regulation of the law— getting a hero license means you'll be held to a certain standard, and if you don't meet it, people can take action. If you hadn't already proven yourself, they would've have insisted so much that you become legalized."

Glassy violet eyes widened. "I-I…I hadn't thought of it that way before."

The hero nodded, then leaned down to press a kiss to her forehead. "You've got this," he promised. "I'll be waiting here for you, and as soon as it's done, we'll go out for crepes with lots and lots of fruit, okay? Does that sound good?"

The watery laugh that came out of her lips had his heart beating faster. "Sounds like a plan."

Three hours later, they were eating crepes, a newly laminated hero license in her purse.

* * *

"It's totally a thing!" Hiro cried. "I've been watching videos on Youtube about it— tell them, Eri!"

"It's a thing," Eri repeated in her usual drawl.

Asagao was staring down at the round orange squash quizzically, and Izuku was resisting the urge to pull out his phone to snap a picture.

Instead, he laughed out, "It's, ah— well, to clarify, it's an American thing. All Might told me he did it in October when he was over there."

Now confused violet eyes were landing on him, and he was really having a hard time containing a sigh at how cute she was.

"But…but pumpkins are small," she said. "How are they big enough to carve anything out of them?"

"No no—" Hiro shoved his phone in her face, "See, they grow bigger there! They can be huge! So what I was thinking is—"

"Hiro—"

"—you could take the ones I got—"

"This is not why I got a hero license."

"—and make them bigger!"

Asagao shot her boyfriend an exasperated look, and he merely shrugged. "I don't get it either, but hey, maybe it'll be fun?"

Her eye roll told him that she clearly didn't believe him. But regardless, she placed her gauntleted hand on the tiny pumpkin Hiro had thrown on her greenhouse table and closed her eyes. She repeated the process with the other three, and in a minute, they had four decently sized pumpkins ready to…do whatever it was Americans did in October.

Hiro was cheering, and even Eri was breaking from her usual neutral demeanor as she pulled tools out of her backpack with a grin. Wait, was that a knife? Where did she— never mind, she probably stole it from her dad.

"Well, guess there's a first time for everything," his girlfriend decided.

When Asagao posted a picture on Twitter of his terrible All Might carving two hours later, he couldn't even be mad. Not when she was smiling like that.

* * *

"Do we have enough cupcakes for everyone tomorrow?"

"Yup, Hiro finished them last night. In fact, you could say we have—"

"Don't do it—"

"—one for all!"

Izuku groaned while Asagao snickered.

"Come on, you know you love my jokes," she teased, elbowing him lightly.

The hero just shook his head. "If only I'd known how much you loved puns _before_ we started dating."

"You still would've asked me out."

"I would've."

With the final item on their birthday-party-planning to-do list complete, the couple moved from his kitchen and settled down on the couch. As Asagao grabbed the remote to flick through movies to watch, Izuku let his mind wander back to this time last year.

This time last year…had been horrible. He'd been caught in the throes of jealousy, villains had been plotting their relationship's demise, and he'd frankly given her the worst birthday ever. Now that November had rolled around again, he was determined to make up for it all, no matter how many times she had assured him that all was forgiven.

"I can hear you thinking about it again."

Izuku startled, but was unsurprised to see the knowing look on his girlfriend's face. He could only meet her eyes for a second, though, feeling guilt rising up in his chest. "Sorry, I just…" he sighed heavily. "You know what I'll say because I've already said it a million times, but I just want this year to be better than last year."

Asa gave him a half-grin. "That's a pretty low bar to pass."

The hero snorted. "True."

There was a brief silence, during which she turned off the tv. He felt her shift, and a moment later, she was straddling his lap, peeking up at him through her eyelashes.

"I think I have an idea of something that might help," she said casually, although the way her fingers began to drift over his chest wasn't casual at all.

Izuku could already feel something deep and warm stirring inside him. "O-Oh?" he replied, breath hitching. "What's that?"

She responded by leaning forward, dropping her lips to the crook of his neck, and—

"Mmmn," he sighed, melting back into the couch cushions. He was more than happy to let her treat him like this, especially now that she'd learned all his weak spots.

They awoke tangled up in his bed the next morning, sunlight streaming through the windows. And when he leaned over to peck her lips and wish her a happy birthday, he was rewarded with the beautiful smile he wanted to wake up to every day.

* * *

It wasn't often that he hid his desires from Asagao, but right now, they were so strong that it was almost embarrassing.

He could still see it so clearly: her, standing there, ruby red dress ripped, ash on her face, and vines hovering around her protectively, ready to strike at a moment's notice.

It…it affected him in ways that he hadn't expected, and he'd been trying to hide that fact ever since.

It made sense to try to cover up his arousal while they'd still been at the formal gala. The annual December event honoring heroes wasn't exactly the place for it. But now, sitting in the bathtub with her in his arms…he felt silly. It shouldn't be so embarrassing to admit to her that he was staggeringly attracted to her.

And of course, she's known that for a while. But tonight—

Tonight she was _hot_.

Asagao was many things: beautiful, cute, adorable, pretty. But throw in a sudden villain attack, and apparently, the end result was an angelic creature that made him feel anything but angelic.

He wanted to ravage her, to show her off, to take her to bed and hear his name, to—

"Izuku, you're hilariously obvious."

Oh. He'd forgotten about trying to not think those thoughts, hadn't he?

Swallowing hard, the hero tried his best to douse his arousal with cooling thoughts, but— nope, it just wasn't going to work. Giggling, Asagao turned in the bath, a twinkle in her eyes.

"What do you want right now?" she asked innocently.

His heart was pounding in his chest. "You."

And that would always be his answer.

* * *

"Please make yourself at home, Nakano-san!" Iida burst as soon as he opened the door.

Momo hid her amused smile behind her hands. "I'm pretty sure she's said Asa-chan is fine with her, dear."

Izuku watched his girlfriend nod her head. "I'm honestly good with whatever!" she replied, grinning brightly. "Thanks again for the invitation!"

Iida waved a stiff hand. "Nonsense! Why wouldn't we invite you? I almost feel like you're one of our classmates, now!" Izuku's heart couldn't help but warm at his friend's words. Asagao really had integrated so well into his friend group, and it made him so happy.

Attending Momo and Iida's New Year's Eve party felt like the final step of her acceptance (even though she'd been largely accepted as soon as Kacchan gave his approval).

The couples made their way through the foyer, and Izuku watched Asagao stare at the crystal chandeliers and artwork out of the corner of his eye. The chaotic noise coming from the living room got louder with each footstep, and when they entered, there were cheers.

"Midoriya-kun!" Ojiro greeted. "We're just starting a round of Mario Kart— grab a controller!"

"Oui, we're all very excited to see who the champion of this year will be, mon ami!" Aoyama winked.

The number one pro hero's eyes turned to the woman at his side. "You wanna join?"

Asagao immediately shook her head. "Nope, I suck. I couldn't even beat Hiro when we were kids. I think I'll just watch—"

"Psh, come on!" Mina interjected. "The only ones here who are actually good are Bakugo-kun, Kirishima-kun, Midoriya-kun, and Kaminari-kun when he's a little tipsy."

"Hey!" said electric hero cried in indignation.

With his girlfriend now giggling, she relented. "Alright, I'll play in a bit. Care to show me where the desserts are, Mina-chan? Momo's been going on and on about this chocolate cake she got—"

"Ooooh, yes! It's the best! Follow me!"

Izuku stared after his girlfriend as she was lead over to the kitchen. She was smiling brightly, chatting easily, and he just— he just loved her so much, and she was such a big part of his life now, but at the same time it was so natural, and he really really kept thinking about making it official.

"Lost in your thoughts, Midoriya-kun?" a deep voice rumbled next to him.

The hero startled, his head whipping around. "W-What?"

Tokoyami lifted an eyebrow. "You should ask her. I have the feeling she wouldn't say no."

Izuku found himself sputtering, genuinely wondering how Tokoyami had figured him out, but really, it wasn't that hard. Everyone could see it— even Bakugo was starting to grouse at him about how he should just get down on one knee already, dammit.

He swallowed hard, green eyes flicking down to the game controller in his hands. "I'll…I'll think about it— n-not that I haven't already, but— thank you, Tokoyami-kun."

His friend nodded his feathered head sagely, and with that, the game commenced.

* * *

"You're so pretty," the little girl cooed at Asagao.

The florist laughed and said thank you, and Izuku really, really couldn't do this. Well, he could, just— watching the scene in front of him made his heart want to explode.

The fundraising event for the charity his agency supported came just after Valentine's Day, and maybe it was the lingering romantic feeling in the air causing it, but seeing her with children just—

She was so beautiful and he wanted to marry her so bad.

Her violet eyes were lit up, sparkling as she bent down and talked with the children. A tote bag was hanging from her shoulder; it had been filled up with flowers when they got here, but she was almost done passing them out now. She interacted with the children easily, listening attentively to their stories, asking about their interests, and encouraging positive views on quirks like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Izuku knew that he also should be interacting with the children, but he kept getting sidetracked admiring Asagao. Which is why he's at her side when another child comes up and says:

"I bet you and Deku would have cute kids!"

He swore his heart skipped several beats.

But while he was just standing there frozen like an idiot, Asagao let out a laugh that sounded like bells on a crystal clear morning. "Not as cute as you, I'm sure!" she replied, tapping the child on their nose.

Yup, he was going to marry this woman if it was the last thing he did.

* * *

It happens in late March, and it's nothing like he wants it to be.

They're cleaning up his house, which had gotten pretty messy after several back-to-back missions out of the country. Izuku had taken to throwing things wherever he felt when he unpacked and repacked his bags.

But they had stopped organizing for now. He wasn't sure how it happened, but Asagao had re-entered his bedroom wearing one of his sweaters, and he dropped everything else in favor of holding her. They'd been playing jazz in the background as they'd worked, which now provided a steady, gentle pace for them to sway back and forth to.

He had her in his arms, and her hands were linked behind his neck, their foreheads touching together, and they'd already shared a handful of sweet kisses when he murmured, "Marry me."

Lashes fluttered against his. He opened his eyes to see violet ones staring back, wide and disbelieving. And for some strange reason, he didn't feel the anxiety he'd expected to in this moment (probably due to the fact that it had slipped out, dammit, he'd really wanted something special and magical and grand and—)

"A-Are you serious?"

Izuku snapped back to attention, and yup, just kidding, there came the anxiety. "Is it too soon?" he asked. "I've thought about it a lot, and— but, if you're not ready, it's— I just really want to know if I can marry you? Not for a while, even, we could have as long of an engagement as you want if that would make you more comfortable, because maybe it is a little early, but—"

Suddenly, Asagao was grinning knowingly. "Do you even have a ring?"

Oh, she had a good point. He snapped his mouth shut to cut off his ramblings. "I…thought you might want to pick one out?" he offered.

She blinked. "...you're serious."

"I—" he swallowed, then cleared his throat. "Yes, yes I am."

Something in the air shifted. She was stepping back, her eyebrows scrunched together, and Izuku told his heart to not break. "I'm— are you sure?" she asked. "I'm, well…I, we— I don't know, I'm just—"

"Just what?" he whispered.

There was a deathly silence before she sighed, "I'm really focused on my work, and sometimes I still don't say the right things when you're anxious, and I have a really bad temper, and my parents— that's a whole other story, and…I don't know!" Asagao looked torn, her hands grasping at her hair, and Izuku moved to pull her in again.

Part of the pain in his heart eased when she nuzzled her cheek into his chest. "I've got a lot of flaws," she mumbled.

"And I mutter to myself all the time, but you don't seem to have a problem with that," he rebutted.

Asagao's head whipped up— there were tears in her eyes. "I think it's cute," she laughed, voice watery.

Izuku grinned. "I'm glad someone does." She giggled, and the pair let themselves stand there in silence for a moment, both processing.

After a minute had passed, Izuku softly said, "If you don't know right now, it's fine. But I'm probably not going to stop asking until you give me a straight answer."

"I haven't said no," she pointed out.

He tilted his head. "But you haven't said— _mmm_."

She'd cut him off by kissing him. He always liked it when she did that. And though she only stayed pressed against his lips for a few seconds, he knew what her answer was.

When Asagao pulled away, her eyes were shining. "Like I'd ever want anyone else," she whispered. "Together. Good and bad."

Izuku beamed, about to swoop down and capture another kiss, when a thought hit him. He groaned, "Shit, now we have to announce this to the press."

"Hmmm, we could elope?" his now fiancée suggested.

"I think both our moms would kill us," the hero replied flatly. "I know mine would."

The florist in his arms giggled. "Yeah, probably."

Izuku chuckled in return, shaking his head. "You know, you still haven't said—"

"Yes, you idiot!" she cried, bursting into a fit of laughter.

They ended the night curled up on the couch Googling potential places to go shop for rings. And after a year of thinking he wanted to marry her…yeah, yeah this moment was worth it.

* * *

**Please leave a review!**


	31. Epilogue

**This is it. This is the end. I want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for all of the love and support this fic has gotten. I started it when I was in the lowest point of my life, and it has helped me through so much. Asagao and Izuku will always stay with me, and I hope you can say the same. **

* * *

_10 years later…_

Wide emerald green eyes flitted about anxiously, and chubby little hands rubbed freckled cheeks— one of their daughter's nervous habits.

Asagao smiled widely, tucking a strand of silky brown hair behind her daughter's ear. "Sumire, you're going to have a wonderful time, I just know it!"

Though the four year old's eyes showed her disbelief, she still nodded. Asagao rose from her kneeling position and immediately had her place taken by Izuku. The number one hero wrapped his arms gently around Sumire, who, of course, clung to his neck like she did every time. She was always going to be daddy's little girl.

"You're going to make lots of friends," Izuku murmured.

"Uhuh."

"And Kaen-kun is going to be at the same school as you."

"Uhuh."

"And when you get home, mama and I will have your favorite meal for you, okay?"

Their daughter backed up out of her dad's embrace just enough to peer up at him with hopeful eyes. "You promise?"

"Promise," Izuku chuckled, and Asagao tried to stop her heart from melting. Each and every day, she grew more and more thankful they'd decided to take the plunge and have a child. It had been a terrifying decision— they'd stayed up countless nights debating it, always wondering if it was right to put someone else in the danger Izuku's career so often brought. But then, in these moments, when she saw the unfiltered adoration in her daughter and her husband's eyes…she couldn't find an ounce of regret in her.

"Oi! Don't tell me Icy Hot is late!" came a bark from down the street.

The Midoriya family looked up to see the Bakugo-Kirishima's walking toward them. Their son was in the middle of his dads, all smiles and excited skips as he held their hands. Katsuki looked irritable as usual, but Asagao knew the real reason why.

"Stop worrying, he just texted and said traffic was bad," Asa soothed.

"Tch," the explosive hero grunted. "He should've known that it would be bad this morning. Why don't I just take the little gremlins myself?"

Eijirou's eyes rolled fondly. "Nothing's gonna happen to them, babe. And _you_ have a patrol to get to," he reminded his husband.

Asa watched as Katsuki conceded (begrudgingly, but still). He got down on his knees to face his son, giving him a stern, yet love-filled look. "Don't cause any problems, okay, squirt? You're gonna be the best damn kid that teacher's ever seen."

Kaen nodded seriously, as though his father had just given him a top secret mission. "Yes, sir."

The steel in Katsuki's eyes softened, and the Midoriya's politely looked away when Katsuki pressed a gentle kiss to his son's head. Even after all these years, the explosive hero still didn't like others seeing his soft side. Still, Asagao realized, he'd come a long way. They all had.

"Sumire," Asa said softly, nudging her daughter. "Why don't you go say hi to Kaen-kun?"

The little girl wrinkled her nose in distaste, another nervous habit. But Kaen had already whipped his head around at the sound of his name, so there was really no choice. Sumire's head was downward when she approached, and her hands fidgeted with her soft yellow play pants.

"Hi," she whispered. "I— 'm scared for…for school."

The parents watched in silence, even Katsuki, though at this point he was probably going to be late for his patrol.

Kaen's head was tilting. "Why're you scared? There aren't any monsters."

Sumire let out an adorable sigh. "I know. But…but mommy and daddy won't be there."

"My daddy's won't be there either," Kaen pointed out. "But you and me are going together! And Uncle Shoto is taking us!"

All of the sudden, it seemed reality made sense again to Sumire. Her pretty green eyes brightened, and clearly no longer feeling so worried about her first day of school, she stepped forward and grabbed Kaen's hand.

"Nope," Katsuki said immediately. "We are _not_ having a Midoriya in this family. This is unacceptable."

"She could be going to school with someone worse," came a dry reply. The parents turned to see Shoto walking up, complacent expression present as always. "Kaminari-kun and Jirou-chan's son is a nightmare."

The entire group chuckled in agreement. Little Hikari-kun seemed to have limitless energy that wore even seasoned pro heroes like them out in just a few minutes.

Uncle Shoto's arrival signaled the need for final goodbyes. Sumire and Kaen both threw themselves at their parents, gathering enough hugs and kisses to last them the day. And when Shoto drove off, both kids waved excitedly through the car window.

The car turned off of their street, and Eijirou turned to give Asagao a wink. "Katsuki's gonna cry as soon as we leave, I just know it."

"Shut up!" his husband called, but his voice cracked. When the group glanced over, they saw eyes that were redder than usual. Having been caught, Katsuki was quick to turn on his heel and stomp away. "You better make sure you pick them up on time, idiot!"

"Love you too, sweetheart!" Eijirou called after him, snickering.

After that, Asagao waited around patiently as the two remaining men talked for a few minutes about a meeting next week. Her hand was laced firmly in her husband's, and as he chatted away, she felt him playing with her wedding ring. It was a habit he'd gotten into ever since she'd put it on, and she loved it. It was a little reminder to him that she was there, safe and sound, promised to him forever just like he was to her.

When the men finally finished their conversation, Eijirou pressed a parting goodbye kiss to her cheek (that, too, had become a habit) before he walked back in the direction of his house. Yawning, Asagao leaned into her husband's warm side. She could hear his deep chuckle rumble through his chest.

"Back to bed?" he suggested.

"Mmhm."

The couple made the short walk back to their home in comfortable silence. Though at first they'd questioned their decision on letting Shoto take Sumire to school, Asa now realized it was probably for the best. She honestly didn't know if she would want to let her little girl go if they'd taken her themselves.

When Asagao stumbled sleepily over some shoes in the foyer, Izuku chuckled. "Come on, not much further to go."

"Don't patronize me," the florist mumbled half-heartedly. Her husband just laughed again. He squeezed her hand and tugged her upstairs to their bedroom, and as soon as they entered, Asa ran forward and flopped back down into bed.

She nuzzled her face into the sheets, reveling in the smell of her husband's cologne that always hung in the air. The bed dipped, and she opened her eyes to see her hero snuggling up to her.

"You were right," Izuku hummed. "Taking today off was a good idea."

Asa nodded, then let out a contented sigh. Her violet gaze drifted up to where dark curly locks fell in front of adoring green eyes. Unthinkingly, she reached up to brush them out of the way.

For the next few minutes, the florist let herself get lost in thought as she played with strands of her husband's hair. That beautiful green stare never left her, and after a while, it became curious. "What's on your mind, love?"

She gave a little shrug. "I'm just happy. With you, with Sumire— with life in general and all that."

"Oh?" Izuku said. "Even after the Osaka incident? Or that time the woman tried to use a love potion quirk on me? Or when fans mobbed you in the park last fall? Or—"

"_Yes_," Asa cut him off, rolling her eyes. He gave her a cheeky grin, and she swatted his shoulder. "It's not like it's been rainbows and unicorns, but I think I knew what I was signing up for."

Izuku hummed again. It seemed that he had nothing else to say, if the way his head dipped down said anything. Her husband gently pressed her down against the mattress, his lips kissing her shoulder lazily. He worked up to her neck, her jaw, her cheek, her forehead, her nose, and finally, her lips.

The couple sighed into one another. The kiss was long and slow, no heat hidden beneath it— just a promise of unwavering love.

When they parted, Asagao immediately cuddled back into his chest. Strong arms wrapped around her. She closed her eyes and let her mind begin to drift, the steady beat of Izuku's heart guiding her to dreamland.

No, it hadn't been perfect. They'd had their difficulties from day one, and they'd had even more along the way. But here, curled up with the man who held and treasured her heart, she couldn't complain. Despite all the ups and downs, the twists and turns— she was content.

With that final thought, a little smile settled on her petal pink lips. And with another sigh, she floated off to sleep, her floral fantasy come true.

* * *

_Back in the present, shortly after Izuku and Asagao's engagement was announced…_

Shinsou hadn't wanted to fall in love. There are just some types of people you don't want to fall in love with: those who are already taken, those who don't match with your sexuality, and (most importantly in the line of hero work) villains.

And yet over the edge he'd gone, falling, falling, falling endlessly until he finally hit the ground and was forced to face the facts. She was with someone else. And he had to move on.

Of course, that was hard to do with her face seemingly everywhere on social media and talk shows and newspaper stands, but he managed. And by managed, I mean he took up as many night shifts as possible, if only because avoiding anything and everything related to her just seemed easier under the veil of darkness.

It was pathetic, really, to have fallen so hard so quickly. But then no, it wasn't, because how could anyone not fall for someone as kind and smart and funny and beautiful as—

Shinsou didn't let himself finish the thought.

He refocused his eyes on the midnight cityscape before him. He had a job to do. And he was sure _they_ were going to make things difficult again.

* * *

**_Beyond_, my new Shinsou fic, begins next week. Make sure you're subscribed to my profile so that you will get the update when it first comes out!**


	32. Sequel

**Hello dear friends, I just wanted to let you know that the sequel is up! Hope you enjoy!**


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